10 most reliable tailenders in the world today

There is not a shred of doubt that bowlers in modern-day cricket take their batting very seriously, with the days when it literally was a matter of minutes before the lower-order was bundled out being well behind us. Many of them have made useful contributions with the bat and have shown that they can hang around in the middle to support the more abled batsmen. Sometimes, these contributions have come when the team needed them the most.While in ODIs, lower order batsmen are often required to go on all out attack, in Tests, their importance is magnified, as many a crucial partnerships have completely changed the nature of the game in recent times.Here's a list of 10 of the most dependable tailenders in the world currently (performance in Tests taken into account):Note: Players like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Stuart Broad and Vernon Philander have not been considered for this list since they are more than useful with the bat down the order and come under the bowling all-rounder category. Also, players who have spent some decent amount of time in the middle recently have been taken into account.This list is in no particular order.

#1 Ryan Harris

Ryan Harris will undoubtedly go down as one of Australia's most underutilised talents ever. A swing bowler with the ability to bowl at good pace and pick up early wickets for his side, Harris has just not had as smooth a run as he would've liked to, largely because of the spate of injuries he has suffered during the course of his career.

The 35-year-old has been exceptional with the ball when fit in recent times, illustrated by his return of 22 wickets from 5 Tests at 23.40, and has also managed to contribute some crucial runs lower down the order with the bat in hand.

Harris has a batting average of 19.32 in 24 Tests for Australia and his unbeaten 68 off 123 balls against the West Indies in 2012 is sufficient proof that his average is indeed no joke and that he is a compact lower-order batsman.

#2 Dale Steyn

Without a doubt the best fast-bowler in the game today, Dale Steyn is as close as it gets to be the complete package with the ball. He is a real threat with both the new and the old ball and is the captain's go-to man whenever his side needs a wicket, for whichever team he plays for.

However, the 30-year-old has shown that he can be decent with the bat as well lower down the order averaging 14.27 with the bat in 75 Test matches. He provided good support to Jacques Kallis in the Durban Test last year, stitching together a crucial 86-run stand and himself scoring 44 runs that included 7 hits to the fence.

#3 Peter Siddle

Along with Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle has established himself to be a key cog in the Australian bowling line-up. While Harris has the ability to get early breakthroughs and Johnson can rattle batsman with his pace, the 29-year-old Victorian is the workhorse of the attack who can bowl all day on the same spot and keep the runs at check.

Not only is Siddle an effective fast bowler, he is also handy with the bat lower down the order and averages 14.30 with the bat since making his debut in 2008. His batting capabilities were for everyone to see in Delhi last year when he hit fifties in each innings on a rank turner against 3 quality Indian spinners, thereby becoming the first man to score a fifty in each innings batting at number 9.

#4 James Anderson

There is no doubt that James Anderson is one of England's most successful fast bowlers. Incisive with the new ball and equally effective with the old cherry, the 32-year-old is just 4 shy of becoming England's leading wicket-taker in Tests.

However, Anderson is not the worst with the bat as well. Don't let an average of 9.50 fool you about his capabilities with the bat. He has shown in the past that he can hang around in the middle. He has come out on several occasions as England's night-watchman and has earned the nickname of "The Burnley Lara" thanks to his batting exploits. He played a crucial role with the bat earlier this year, scoring a vital 81 and sharing a world record 198-run stand with Joe Root to England salvage a draw in the first Test at Trent Bridge.

And who can forget his 55-ball vigil against Sri Lanka where he didn’t score a single run for over 80 minutes, but almost saved the Test match along with Moeen Ali.

#5 Ishant Sharma

The tall right-armer from Delhi has been India's spearhead with the ball in the last few years in the absence of veteran Zaheer Khan. He may not have delivered consistently for his side with the ball, but he has played a key role in helping the younger crop of bowlers out in the middle.

Not only has Ishant been useful with the ball, but he has made useful contributions with the bat too, His average may only be 9.35 but he does have has the ability to hang in there and can provide good support to the other batsman in the middle.

His most valuable contribution with the bat came in the Test match against Australia in Mohali in 2010. Coming in to join VVS Laxman with India at 124 for 8, needing 92 more runs to win, he scored an invaluable 31 and put on 81 for the ninth wicket with Laxman to help his side win a great Test match versus the Aussies.

#6 Mitchell Starc

One of the top left-arm pacers in world cricket, Mitchell Starc’s ability to swing the ball at pace has troubled most batsmen so far and if he could develop the ability of reversing the old ball, he could be a real asset to any team that he represents. Add to his bowling, Starc is also a real athlete on the field.

However, in a short career so far, the 24-year-old has shown that he can be a handy bat lower down the order. He averages 28.86 in 13 Test matches and his notable contribution came against India where he scored 99 in Mohali in March 2013 to help Australia reach 408 in their first innings.

Although that didn't help his side win the Test match, but it showed everyone that he is no mug with the bat.

#7 James Pattinson

Another Australian fast bowler, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career is James Pattinson. He impressed one and all during 2012 Test series against India at home, but his career has never gone forward because of the amount of injuries that he has suffered ever since the start of his career.

However, The 24-year-old has showed in his short career so far that he can play a few cameos lower down order and has a career average of just over 30 in 13 Test matches. He played a useful innings of 42 off 35 balls that included 4 fours and 2 sixes against South Africa at Adelaide and helped Australia reach the 550-run mark in their first innings.

#8 Rangana Herath

Rangana Herath has become Sri Lanka’s premier spinner ever since Muttiah Muralitharan retired in 2011. He almost picked up 10 wickets in a single innings against Pakistan earlier this year and has contributed immensely to many Sri Lankan wins, especially on home soil.

However, Herath is also an extremely dependable batsman lower down the order and has played a crucial part in many a partnerships over the years. One of his important contributions came earlier this year at Headingley where he scored 48 and shared an important 149-run stand with captain Angelo Mathews that eventually helped the Lankans win the Test match and the series 1-0.

#9 Trent Boult

Part of an emerging New Zealand bowling attack, Trent Boult is considered one of the best young fast bowlers in current times. Like so many others, he too is a product of the Under-19 Cricket World cup, featuring in the 2008 edition in Malaysia.

The 25-year-old has a batting average of 17.88 and showed everyone that he is not a mug with the bat when he scored a patient 137-ball 52 against Bangladesh in Chittagong last October.

#10 Nathan Lyon

Nathan Lyon provides the much-needed variety to the Australian bowling attack with his off-spin. Earlier considered to be a slight weak link in their bowling line-up, the 27-year-old has certainly improved as a bowler, keeping one end tight while the fast bowlers wreak havoc at the other end.

He has also shown that he can hang around in the middle with the bat and has a batting average of 14.86 in the 35 Test matches that he has played so far. At No.11, his 14 (top score in that innings) saved Australia from getting all out for the lowest total in Test history in November 2011 against South Africa. A month later, in a thriller against New Zealand at Hobart, he almost won Australians the match along with David Warner, with his 27-ball vigil, but was the last man out when Bracewell castled him, giving the Kiwis a memorable win.