NEW DELHI: In a rare occurrence for Test cricket, two players, India's off-spinner
Ravichandran Ashwin
and England batter
Jonny Bairstow
, are set to feature in their 100th Test match together, marking only the fourth instance in the history of the sport. This significant milestone will be observed during the fifth and final Test match in Dharamsala on Thursday.
The first such occurrence took place in 2000 when former England captain Michael Atherton and
Alec Stewart
reached their 100th Test match together against the West Indies at Old Trafford.
The second instance involved three players: South Africa's
Jacques Kallis
,
Shaun Pollock
, and
Stephen Fleming
, who played their 100th Test in the South Africa-New Zealand game in Centurion in 2006.
The third instance featured Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke in the England-Australia Ashes contest in Perth in 2013.
The Ashwin-Bairstow duo's feat also marks only the second time in Test cricket history that players from opposing teams will be playing their 100th Test in the same game.
Following the India-England match, New Zealand's captain
Tim Southee
and his predecessor Kane Williamson are set to achieve this milestone together during the second Test against Australia.
Ashwin, who recently joined the elite 500-wicket club in Test cricket, following the footsteps of Anil Kumble, made his Test debut in 2011. His journey has been characterised by more highs than lows in the 13 years since his debut.
Meanwhile, Bairstow, 34, will become the 17th Englishman to earn his 100th Test cap in Dharamsala, having made his Test debut in 2012.
With India already securing an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the ongoing series, the Test match in Dharamsala holds special significance as both players reach this remarkable century mark in their Test careers.
(With PTI inputs)
English (US) ·