5 sets of players to have played their 100th Test together ft. R Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow

Although the shorter formats have attained prominence over the past decade, Test cricket's place among purists and most players remains unscathed.

Several cricketers, even the T20 stars, have expressed their desire to represent the nation in whites. However, only a select few have been fortunate to play the longest format for an extended period.

Despite Tests being played since the 19th century, only 80 cricketers have played 100 or more games, with England's Colin Cowdrey the first. While the monumental landmark is a rarity reserved only for stalwarts, it has become slightly more commonplace in the 21st century with a more packed international schedule.

Yet, a match featuring two or more players playing their 100th Test either from the same side or the opposite has been few and far between.

While the proverbial 'lightning doesn't strike twice' holds in most cases, the cricketing world has been fortunate to witness the rare occurrence of multiple players playing a 100th Test on back-to-back days this week.

On that note, let us look at five instances of two or more players playing their 100th Test together.

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#1 Michael Atherton & Alec Stewart

Alec Stewart was one of England's all-time best wicket-keepers.

The first occurrence of two players playing their 100th Test in the same game was during the West Indies tour of England in 2000.

With the five-match series tied at one apiece, the hosts fielded two cricketers playing their 100th Test in Manchester, former skipper Michael Atherton and wicketkeeper-batter Alec Stewart.

While the former endured a dismal outing with 1 and 28, the latter scored a sensational 105 in his lone batting stint. Stewart's century saw him win Player of the Match despite the game ending in a draw.

A decorated commentator now, Atherton was one of the most defiant openers of the 1990s and finished his Test career with 7728 runs in 115 games at an average of 37.69, including 16 centuries.

Meanwhile, Stewart enjoyed an even better Test career, playing 133 games and scoring almost 8,500 runs at an average of 39.54 with 15 centuries. The now-60-year-old also produced 277 dismissals as a wicketkeeper in his illustrious Test career.

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#2 Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock & Stephen Fleming

Kallis and Pollock are arguably the two greatest all-rounders of all time.

It was a sight to behold when three all-time greats, Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, and Stephen Fleming, shared their 100th Test in the same game in 2006.

A packed house at the Super Sport Park in Centurion was the venue of this incredible occasion, as New Zealand began their three-Test series against South Africa. Yet, only Jacques Kallis enjoyed any success in the game with scores of 38 and 62 and a wicket on a bowler-friendly track.

Meanwhile, Pollock still made his presence felt despite not being at his best, with a valuable 24 in the first innings and two wickets with the ball. However, Fleming had a forgettable outing with the bat and captain, with 0 and 6, as New Zealand suffered a 128-run defeat.

Nevertheless, he is still regarded among the most astute captains and finished his Test career with over 7,000 runs at an average of 40.06 in 111 games. As for Kallis and Pollock, the duo are arguably the two most accomplished all-rounders in cricket history.

The former is the third leading run-scorer in Tests with 13,289 runs and boasts the second most number of centuries with 45. Along with impeccable batting numbers, Kallis also finished with 292 Test wickets and is widely recognized as the most accomplished all-rounder in the sport.

On the other hand, Pollock is in the top 15 of Test wickets with 421 scalps at an average of 23.11, including 16 five-wicket hauls. The former South African captain also scored almost 3,800 Test runs at an average of over 32 with two centuries.

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#3 Alastair Cook & Michael Clarke

The duo had several riveting battles in the decade of the 2010s.

Two Ashes heroes of the 21st century, Alastair Cook and Michael Clarke, played their 100th Test together in Australia in 2013-14. Ironically, the pair were also captains of their respective sides.

It was the third Test of England's tumultuous tour down under at Perth, and the game followed a predictable pattern as the visitors suffered a massive 150-run defeat to surrender the urn.

Despite the result, Cook outperformed Clarke individually, scoring 72 and 0 to Clarke's 24 and 23. Yet, the Aussie skipper had the ultimate laugh with the series victory. The duo are two of the most decorated Test batters, especially Cook, England's all-time leading run-scorer in Tests with 12,472 runs and 33 centuries.

Meanwhile, Clarke finished his Test career with over 8,500 runs at an average of 49.10, including 28 tons.

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#4 Ravichandran Ashwin & Jonny Bairstow

Cut to the present, and India's Ravichandran Ashwin and England's Jonny Bairstow are playing their 100th Test in the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala.

The game thus far has mirrored their careers in many ways, with Ashwin picking up wickets for fun and Bairstow looking good before throwing his wicket away. India's champion off-spinner picked up a four-wicket haul to celebrate the occasion of his 100th Test by bowling England out for 218 on Day 1.

Meanwhile, Bairstow raced to 29 before falling to the ever-impressive Kuldeep Yadav. However, the Yorkshireman crossed the 6,000 run mark during his stay and still averages over 36 in his Test career.

On the other hand, Ashwin is among the most accomplished bowlers in Test cricket history, with over 500 wickets at an average of under 24 and 35 five-wicket hauls. He is ninth all-time in Test wickets and second behind only Anil Kumble (619) among Indian cricketers with 511 scalps.

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#5 Kane Williamson & Tim Southee

New Zealand v Australia - Men's 2nd Test: Day 1

A day after Ashwin and Bairstow's 100th Test, long-time teammates Kane Williamson and Tim Southee played theirs in the second Test against Australia in Christchurch today.

Unfortunately, the opening day turned dismal for the pair, with Williamson falling for just 17 and Southee wicketless in his eight overs. However, the latter added valuable 26 runs to help the Blackcaps' score to a respectable 162 on a tricky batting surface.

The poor outing so far still doesn't take away from their stellar careers, with the duo in the upper echelon among Kiwi cricketers. Williamson is New Zealand's all-time leading run-scorer in Tests with 8,692 runs and recently became the fastest cricketer overall by innings to reach 32 centuries.

Likewise, Southee is New Zealand's second leading wicket-taker in Tests with 378 scalps behind only Sir Richard Hadlee's 431.