WI vs ENG: Ben Stokes joins Ian Botham, Kapil Dev in elite list of all-rounders

England all-rounder Ben Stokes joined an elite list of some legendary all-rounders on the second day of the second Test against West Indies at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. Stokes reached the milestone of 5000 runs and already had over 150 wickets to his name in the longest and purest format of the game. He became the fifth player after Gary Sobers, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, and Jacques Kallis to script the landmark of 5000 runs and 150 scalps in Tests cricket.

Amongst the names mentioned above, Stokes is the only active player. The star of the Headingley Test of Ashes 2019, Stokes, also smashed his 11th Test century. The brutal left-handed batter slammed 128 runs off just 120 deliveries which included 11 fours and six sixes. His knock helped the English side in posting a huge total of 507/9 in the first innings on the board.

Meanwhile, Stokes made his debut in the oldest format of the game nine years back against Australia in Adelaide in 2013. Regarded as one of the finest and classic all-rounders in modern-day cricket, Stokes has played 78 Test matches so far in his career. In 143 innings, the New Zealand-born has accumulated 5036 runs at an average of 36.49 with 11 centuries and the highest score of 258. The right-arm fast-medium bowler Stokes has snared 170 scalps with best figures of 6/22.

Ben Stokes just 213 runs behind Ian Botham and Kapil Dev

The 30-year-old Stokes is just 213 runs away from surpassing former England legend Ian Botham and Indian great Kapil Dev. Botham had amassed 5200 runs in 102 Test matches while Kapil Dev ended his career with 5248 runs to his name in 131 Tests. Hence, Stokes is just 213 runs away from going past these two past greats of the game. Notably, Stokes has taken very less number to games in reaching 5000 runs, compared to the other two. The English all-rounder and the 2019-World Cup winner, Stokes, is considered as one of the best all-rounders in the world of cricket right now alongside the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Jason Holder.

Players with 5000 runs and 150 wickets in Tests: