5 batsmen who scored a double century and a duck in the same Test

Scoring a double century is one of the most glorious feats that a batsman can achieve in his career. While there are some great cricketers who were unable to achieve this feat throughout their careers, there are players who have hit double tons across two different formats.

However, it doesn't get any stranger than a batsman following up a double hundred in one innings with a duck in the next innings of the same Test. There are very few instances of something like this taking place in cricket history but the list includes at least a couple of really big names.

Here are 5 occasions when this has happened in a Test:

1. Vivian Richards - 208 & 0 against Australia, 1984

Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards is counted among the greatest batsmen of all time. It was not just his batting skills but his overall persona which easily sent a chill down the opposition's spine. During his career, Richards scored a number of double centuries but on just one occasion, he followed it up with a duck.

In a Boxing Day Test match between West Indies and Australia back in 1984 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Viv Richards battered a 245-ball 208 in the first innings to help his team put 479 on the board. However, in the West Indian 2nd innings, the legendary batsman fell to Craig McDermott for a second-ball duck.

Richards' dismissal for nought, though, did not have much of an impact on the result as the match ended in a draw.

2. Imtiaz Ahmed - 209 & 0 against New Zealand, 1955

Imtiaz Ahmed was a wicketkeeper-batsman by trade

Former Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman Imtiaz Ahmed was a regular feature in his country's Test team through the 1950s. Despite being a capable batsman, Ahmed mostly batted in the lower middle-order for Pakistan. In 41 Tests, he scored over 2000 runs at an average of almost 30 and 3 centuries to his name.

Imtiaz Ahmed's top score of 209 came in the first innings of a Test match against New Zealand at Lahore in the year 1955. The fine innings allowed the Pakistani team to take a sizeable lead and after New Zealand's second innings, they were left to score 116 to win. Ahmed was promoted to No. 3 during the chase but was dismissed for a duck by John Reid.

Despite losing Imtiaz Ahmed for no score, Pakistan still managed to win the match by a margin of 4 wickets.

3. Seymour Nurse - 201 & 0 against Australia, 1965

Seymour Nurse was quite a prolific batsman

Seymour Nurse is a former West Indian cricketer who played 29 Tests between the years 1960 and 1969. Nurse was a prolific batsman and had a tally of more than 2500 runs at a terrific average of just under 48. The right-handed batsman hit 6 centuries in his career and his highest score was 258, which he scored in his final Test against New Zealand.

In a Test against Australia in 1965 at Barbados, a brilliant 201 by Nurse helped West Indies provide a fitting response to the visiting team's mammoth first innings score of 650. The Aussies gave the West Indians a target of 253 to chase in their 2nd innings. Seymour Nurse, who came in to bat at No. 6, got out for a duck to medium pacer Neil Hawke.

The Test match ended in a draw as West Indies were 11 runs short of the target when the final day came to an end.

4. Shoaib Malik - 245 & 0 against England, 2015

Shoaib Malik scored a double century in his last Test series

Pakistan's Shoaib Malik is known predominantly to be a limited-overs batsman but has played 35 Tests for his country as well. Prior to his recent retirement from Test cricket, Malik had scored close to 2000 runs at a 35-plus average with 3 centuries and 8 fifties.

Shoaib Malik made a comeback in the longest format in 2015 after a period of 5 years for a series against England. In his very first knock post returning, Malik scored an epic 245 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The Pakistani batsman, though, could not follow up well on his double ton and was out for nought to James Anderson.

Malik's second-innings duck, though, did not have much of a bearing on the match result as it ended up being a draw.

5. Ricky Ponting - 242 & 0 against India, 2003

Ponting’s 242 against India at Adelaide in 2003 was not enough to prevent Australia from losing

Former Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting is easily among the finest batsmen to have ever played the game. A career which spanned 17 years saw Ponting play 168 Tests and scored more than 13,000 runs at an average of nearly 52. He scored as many as 41 centuries, out of which quite a few were brilliant double hundreds.

One of his best knocks came in the 2003 series against the touring Indians at Adelaide when he hit an emphatic 242 at Adelaide. Ponting's epic helped the Aussies put a score of 556 on the board but the inspired Indian team, led by Rahul Dravid's 233, ran their opponents close by piling on 523 runs in their first innings.

In the Australian 2nd innings, Ricky Ponting struggled around for 17 balls before being dismissed for a duck by Ajit Agarkar. None of the other Aussie players managed to score big and they folded up for 196. India chased down a target of 230 runs with 4 wickets to spare and recorded a memorable victory.