1. Sir Ian Botham
A century and 13 wickets in the same test match is hardly believable for anyone unless the player is Sir Ian Botham. It was during the only test in England’s tour of India 1979/80 when Botham showed his brilliance. Batting first the hosts could only accumulate 242 as Ian Botham ran through the batting order. Botham picked up 6 crucial wickets in 22.5 overs in the first innings.
When England came out to bat, the onus to score runs was also shouldered by Sir Ian Botham. Botham played a valiant knock worth 114 runs and took his side’s score to 296 runs. India, in their second innings, disappointed even more as Ian Botham mesmerized even more. Botham picked up one more wicket than in the first innings as India crumbled to meagre 149. England conveniently chased the target of 96 runs without losing any wickets. England won the match by 10 wickets as Sir Ian Botham was immensely praised for his miraculous performance.
Match:
England vs India | 15-19 February 1980
Performance Summary:
Batting: 114
Bowling: 6/58 (22.5 overs) & 7/48 (26 overs)
