&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Greatest all-rounder ever? SA great only player with 10,000-plus runs and 250+ wickets in both Test and ODIs")
When Ravindra Jadeja almost took India home in Lord's Test against England, everybody recognized the already well-known fact that he's one of the best all-rounders in the world cricket. Jadeja is currently ranked number 1 all-rounder in the Tests and is surely one of the best among active cricketers including England Test skipper Ben Stokes. There is, however, one all-rounder who sits atop on the all-time list of runs and wickets in not only Tests but ODIs as well. The South African all-rounder, for context, has more than 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs as well as 250+ wickets in both formats.
Jacques Kallis from South Africa was one a kind - His record as an all-rounder is unmatchable through generations. For context, Kallis has 45 Test hundreds - second most overall and 17 in ODIs and he has 292 wickets in Tests and 273 wickets in ODIs. Is Jacques Kallis the greatest all-rounder of all time in international cricket? Let's have a look at the numbers:
Kallis is the only player to score 10,000-plus runs in both Tests and ODIs as well as take 250+ wickets too. No other player in the history of the game has been able to achieve the same number in bowling and batting simultaneously as Kallis did. The SA legend has 13,289 runs in Test cricket with 45 hundreds and 292 wickets as well. In ODI cricket, Kallis has scored 11,579 runs with 17 hundreds and 272 wickets.
Kallis's runs, in both Tests and ODIs, are the most by a batter for South Africa. As for wickets, his 291 dismissals in Test are seventh most for South Africa and his 269 wickets are third most in ODIs. Kallis, for the sheer amount of runs and wickets, is definitely one of the greatest, if not greatest, all-rounders to have ever played game of cricket.
