5 rare examples of a player opening the batting and bowling in the same Test
Manor Prabhakar in the 1990s and, more recently, Mohammad Hafeez are among the most prominent examples of one player opening the batting and bowling in the same Test match.
Every now and then, for reasons vast and varied, teams effectively play a bowler or batter out of position. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
This has happened on a good few occasions in the longest format of the international game. Here, we look at five times a player has opened the batting and bowling in the same Test match.
Vernon Philander, Mohali, 2015
South Africa were in the world of trouble in sub-continental conditions in 2015. Their top-order woes were so deep during the Mohali Test that they decided to trial all-rounder Vernon Philander as an opening batter in their final innings.
Philander was no mug with the bat, but was used to hitting lower-order runs rather than compiling time at the crease at the top of the knock. He failed, scoring just one run before perishing lbw to Ravindra Jadeja. The flop only compounded South Africa’s on-field inadequacies against spin and muddled off-field thinking.
Glenn Maxwell, Delhi, 2013
In Delhi, in 2013, Australia were also at the mercy of India‘s penchant for preparing rank turners. Ed Cowan couldn’t handle opening the batting in the first innings, so the Aussies tried all-rounder Glenn Maxwell at the top in the second. The move did not work – he scored only eight.
“That was one of the worst Test wickets I ever played on, Our thought was to try and be able, with a brand new ball, get someone out there who can really take on the game. It didn’t pay off but it was a thought process to just get someone out there and put the bowlers under pressure, which as soon as Glenn Maxwell walks out the bowlers know he can turn the game immediately,” said captain Shane Watson at the time.
Read more: Border-Gavaskar Trophy – 5 interesting Australia v India Test records
Virender Sehwag, Delhi, 2008
There was nothing to the contest in November 2008, when India and Australia played out a dull draw in Delhi. Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman had hit double-centuries, Michael Clarke collected a ton as well – and a win or loss for either team was entirely off the cards.
Sehwag only scored 17 runs in the match – and was afforded the chance to get Simon Katich or Matthew Hayden out on day five. He bowled two overs of cheeky part-time spin. Katich and Watson wouldn’t dare try anything untoward against the part-timer and both remained not out as the captains shook hands on a boring stalemate.
Graham Gooch, Faisalabad, 1987
Six bowlers shared 24 fourth-innings overs in Faisalabad, Pakistan, in December 1987. Among them was Graham Gooch, who opened the bowling and sent down two overs with no success as another draw dawned.
Jack Leach, Kandy, 2018
England‘s nightwatchman extraordinaire got a go at the very top against Sri Lanka this time. But this time he managed just a single – a far cry from his other valuable contributions when promoted from the tail end to the middle order.
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