Greatest all-rounders of all time in Tests

#11 Chris Cairns

A young Chris Cairns in his debut Test match against Australia at Perth was advertised as the next-big-thing in New Zealand Cricket. He is perhaps one of the best all-rounders to have represented New Zealand in international cricket. Beaming with a talent for hard-hitting, he used to easily clear the ground at will.

Effective equally with the ball, he still is the 4th highest wicket-taker for his country in tests. In 2004 against South Africa, Cairns smashed a masterful score of 158 from 171 deliveries which consisted of 18 boundaries and 7 sixes, eventually leading New Zealand to a 9-wicket win.

He was not only adept at moving the ball off the seam and bowling reverse swing but such were his abilities that Sachin Tendulkar recalled an incident in 1999 Mohali test wherein he watched the Cairns run-up and bowling grip before relaying a coded message to Rahul Dravid who was at the strike.

Cairns went on to become the sixth man to achieve the all-rounder's double of 200 wickets and 3000 runs in March 2004. He scored 3320 runs at an average of 33.53 which included 5 tons and 22 fifties. He took 218 wickets at an average of 29.4 which includes 13 five-wicket hauls.

Out of these 218 scalps, 115 came in the last 28 tests played between 1999-2004 at an average less than 26. At his best, a pure match-winner, he once held the World Record for most sixes (87) in Test cricket surpassing Vivian Richards until Adam Gilchrist overhauled it.

His career would have spanned a lot longer if it weren't for the injuries. However in the 62 tests he managed to play, he clearly displayed his class all-rounding skills seizing the momentum from opposition at various instances.