Who Are The Greatest Test Allrounders?

Who Are The Greatest Test Allrounders?

Who Are The Greatest Test Allrounders? It is never quite fair to judge or compare eras. There is always a debate surrounding who the greatest all-rounder is when it comes to Test cricket. The names that immediately come to mind are Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Richard Hadlee, and Ian Botham. These four fought for the title of being the best all-rounder during their era. There is little to deny that all four of them were elite all-rounders but numbers do tell an interesting story.

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The way to measure an allrounder’s brilliance?

One of the ways to measure an allrounder’s effectiveness is to look at the difference between their batting and bowling average. There are very few in the game who boast of a positive difference in averages. The list gets narrow when the benchmark is of longevity and sustained excellence. 

We look at allrounders with a batting average greater than 25 and bowling average lesser than 25:

[Qualification criteria: 2500+ runs and 200+ wickets]

#5 Ravichandran Ashwin 

He picked up a 12-wicket haul in the first Test against West Indies. Ravichandran Ashwin showed the management how they had erred in dropping him for the WTC Final. He has picked up 486 wickets in 93 Tests at an outstanding average of 23.61. Ashwin has also scored 5 Test centuries. He is an underrated all-rounder who has a solid batting technique too. Ashwin averages 26.97 with the bat having scored 3,129 runs. His positive difference of 3.36 fetches him a fifth spot on this list.

#4 Richard Hadlee 

Sir Richard Hadlee is among the greatest cricketers New Zealand ever produced. He was part of the most celebrated quartet of allrounders. Hadlee was primarily a bowler whose secondary skill was top-notch too. He scored 3,124 runs in 86 Tests at a batting average of 27.16. Hadlee picked up 431 wickets at an outstanding average of 22.29. His positive difference in average is a solid 4.87.

#3 Shaun Pollock

He might appear a surprising entry on this list but Shaun Pollock was a terrific all-round cricketer. The former South Africa captain picked up 421 wickets in 108 Tests at a top average of 23.11. He usually batted at number 8 and proved to be a thorn in the flesh for opposition bowlers. Pollock scored 3,781 runs at a more than decent average of 32.31 for a number 8 batsman. His positive average difference of 9.20 is top draw!

#2 Ravindra Jadeja

He is regarded as the best all-rounder in the modern game along with Ben Stokes. Ravindra Jadeja is the quintessential 3-dimensional player. He started off being a bowling allrounder but now has grown into the role of a top batsman too. Jadeja has picked 273 wickets in 66 Tests so far at an average of 24.07. He has cored 2,743 runs at a fine average of 36.09. Jadeja is among the only two to have a positive difference in double digits (12.02).

#1 Imran Khan

The legendary Imran Khan tops the charts when it comes to having the biggest positive difference in averages. Khan scored 3,807 runs in 88 Tests at an average of 37.69. He inspired a whole generation of Pakistani youngsters to take up the sport. Khan often bowled with the new ball. He picked up 362 wickets at a brilliant average of 22.81. His average difference of 14.88 is the highest for anyone who has picked 200 wickets and scored more than 2000 runs!