Five Specialist Batsmen Who Picked Up Important Wickets

To have a specialist batsmen is a boon but if he can chip in with a few important wickets it becomes an added advantage to the side. Cricket has been a game of uncertainties. It has seen a wicket-keeper batsman remove his gloves to come out and bowl. While at times, in the longer formats, a certain Virat Kohli or Alastair Cook also have a go with the bowl.

Let us have a look at five such specialist batsmen who picked up important wickets for their teams:

Marcus Trescothick

Former England batsman Marcus Trescothik has over 9000 international runs to his name and scored at an average of 43.79  in Tests and nearly 38 in ODIs. But that did not stop him from chipping in crucial wickets for his national team. He has picked up one wicket in the longest format and four in the ODIs.

At the Nat-West tri-series, fifth ODI between England and West Indies, Trescothik picked up the wicket of Ramnaresh Sarwan who was cruising at 46. Paul Collingwood took a brilliant catch as the dangerous looking Sarwan was sent back  to the pavillion.

Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson is the finest batsmen across formats in world cricket. He has scored at an average nearly 50 in the Tests, 47.48 in the ODIs and nearly 33 in the shortest format of the game. Interestingly, the New Zealand captain has also picked up 29 wickets in Tests, 37 ODIs and six in the shortest format.

One of his wickets, includes that of Jos Buttler. He dismissed the dangerous man in the 2013 New Zealand tour of England after Buttler tried to reverse sweep him but Mitchell McClenaghan took an easy catch at point.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has made record-breaking look easy. He has taken bowlers of any stature to the cleaners and added runs in abundance. Already, a modern day great, if Virat Kohli continues to pile up runs in similar fashion he might well end up as the greatest of the game.

Notably, he has picked up four wickets in ODIs and as many in the shortest format.

Kohli also has a wicket in the shortest format without bowling a legitimate delivery. He dismissed Kevin Pietersen off a wide ball in the shortest format as MS Dhoni stumped him back to the dressing room.

Alastair Cook

Former England captain Alastair Cook has earned plenty of accolades as a batsmen and a skipper. He also chipped in with a few important wickets when his team needed. Cook dismissed tailender Ishant Sharma in the first Test of the India-England five-match series in 2014. England won the series 3-1.

Joe Root

Joe Root is one of the finest batsman of the modern era. He has scored runs in abundance and also picked up crucial wickets for his team. Root has been a crucial cog for the English team. Back in 2013 he contributed with the bat and ball in the second Ashes Test.

Root scored 180 runs in the second innings of the match besides dismissing Australia captain Michael Clarke. Root was adjudged the man-of-the-match for his all-round performance in that contest.