5 times Bhuvneshwar Kumar helped India win matches with the bat

Every team while scouting for players look at cricketers who are multi-dimensional, with an ability to put in performances with their primary facet and make some sort of contribution with any of the others.

The best example for such a type of player in the present setup is that of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has over the years coupled his ability to take wickets with his swing with a very reliable ability to get crucial runs with the bat down the order for India.

His batting exploits were on view on Friday when he made 21 critical runs down the order to keep India in the game after the top order had flattered to deceive and the middle-order had just about kept India in the game.

Here is that and four other instances when Bhuvneshwar came to India's rescue with the bat in hand:

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#5 India vs Australia, Chennai 2013

Bhuvneshwar's 38 helped India take a big lead

Playing his debut Test against the Australians at home, Bhuvneshwar must have hoped he would claim a five-wicket haul on debut and thereby, make it a start to remember.

Instead, he put up a performance with the bat which proved to be vital for India, eventually winning the game. Walking to bat with his side 406 for 8 and leading by a mere 26 runs, he put 140 runs for the ninth wicket with MS Dhoni contributing 38 to that total take India's lead to 192 runs which proved to be decisive in the end.

Batting second, Australia were dismissed for 241 and India got the runs with eight wickets in hand.

#4 India vs England, Lord's 2014

Bhuvneshwar was excellent with the bat on a tough pitch at Lord's

Arguably the best all-round performance of his career, so far. Put in to bat, India found themselves reeling at 145 for 7 when Bhuvneshwar joined Ajinkya Rahane in the middle.

With the best of the batsmen struggling on a green pitch, few expected Bhuvneshwar to survive for long, but survive he did and how, putting on 70 for the eighth wicket to take his side to safety.

Then after claiming 6 for 82 with the ball, he put in another stellar batting performance by scoring his second half-century of the tour to help India set a target that proved to be too much for the hosts in the end.

#3 India vs South Africa, Johannesburg 2018

Bhuvneshwar's performance with the bat in both innings helped India win

One of the contenders for the best all-round showings of 2018 so far, Bhuvneshwar's exploits on yet another tough pitch at Johannesburg will be talked about a lot more than it is, in the days to come.

Recalled for the game after being shockingly omitted in the previous Test match, the all-rounder once again showcased his credentials with the bat, making 30 and 33 to help India recover in both innings.

For those exploits and also taking four wickets in the match, he was awarded the Player of the match.

#2 India vs Sri Lanka, Pallekele 2017

Bhuvneshwar was excellent with the bat against Sri Lanka that day

With such a gunning top-order, it isn't often that the lower-order gets an opportunity to play a big role in India winning matches. That turned out to be the case in Pallekele last year when after Akila Dananjaya had run through the Indian top and middle-order, Bhuvneshwar joined MS Dhoni in the middle, with his side needing 100 runs for a win.

The overs weren't as big an issue as much as the wickets and steadily, the right-hander began to stitch together a stand that soon turned the match on its head.

The Sri Lankans began to feel the heat and Bhuvneshwar reached his maiden ODI fifty en route to adding the remaining 100 runs and stayed unbeaten right till the end.

#1 India vs Bangladesh, Dubai 2018

Bhuvneshwar's batting skills came to the fore again on Friday

After having dismissed Bangladesh for 222, Indi's top-order failed to do what they did so well right through the tournament- set the platform for the win.

At 167 for 5, Kedar Jadhav had to retire hurt owing to hamstring trouble and Bhuvneshwar walked out to join Ravindra Jadeja in the middle. The right-hander showed all the traits that have made him the reliable batsman that he is today, putting on 35 key runs with Jadeja, contributing 21 to the cause that eventually proved to be pivotal in India winning their seventh Asia Cup title.