5 bowlers who bowled pace and spin in the same match

Cricket is a game of skills. There have been numerous batsmen who have made a name for themselves, either with their big-hitting or their dogged defence. Among bowlers, a number of players have swung to fame in the fast lane while others have spun their way to glory.

As long as cricket is played, the list of famous batsmen, bowlers and all-rounders will keep growing. However, there are a few former cricketers who possessed a skill that can be termed rare and versatile. These players had the ability to bowl both medium pace and spin. Former Aussie opener Mark Waugh actually used to bowl medium pacer earlier in his career before he shifted focus to spin.

In this unique feature we take a look at five instances in Tests and ODIs, of players bowling pace and spin in the same match.

#1. Colin Miller

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Colin Miller Karsan Ghavri Manoj Prabhakar Sohail Tanvir

Former Aussie off-spinner Colin Miller, fondly known as ‘Funky’ for his maverick ways, did something that suits his nickname to the hilt. In the second Test of the series between Australia and New Zealand in Wellington in March 2000, New Zealand were struggling at 18 for 2 batting first.

Aussie skipper Steve Waugh brought Miller early into the attack. Miller ran in and bowled his usual off-spin to Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming. After facing four dot balls, the left-hander took a single off the fifth to bring Mathew Sinclair on strike. Seeing the right hander on strike, Miller swiftly shifted to a longer run-up, and decided to bowl medium pace, leaving the commentators bewildered. The move proved to be a master-stroke though, as Miller trapped Sinclair lbw with one that came in after pitching, catching the batsman off guard.

Miller only played 18 Tests, the last of which was in Chennai in 2001, in which he claimed six wickets. Given the talent he possessed, and with a bit of luck, Miller could have had a much more prolific career.

#2. Karsan Ghavri

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A left-arm pacer who, for long, was Kapil Dev’s opening bowling partner, Karsan Ghavri once got a five-for in a Test match bowling left-arm spin. The setting was the fifth Test of the series against England in Bombay in February 1977. The famous Indian spin trio of captain Bishen Singh Bedi, B. S. Chandrasekhar and E.A.S. Prasanna were failing to make much of an impression in the second innings.

When Bedi went out for a break, he asked Sunil Gavaskar to lead the side. Gavaskar wanted to have some left-arm spin. The result? Ghavri ended up picking five wickets against all expectations. His scalps included big names -- skipper Tony Grieg, Derek Randall, and Alan Knott. Chasing 214 to win, England finished on 152 for 7 as the match was drawn.

On his return to the field, Bedi looked at the scoreboard and thought that the second new ball produced wickets. The captain was surprised when told that Ghavri took five wickets with his left-arm spin.

Intriguingly, Ghavri was actually a spinner in his school days. One day his captain got injured and the coach asked him to bowl with the new ball. Ghavri picked five wickets in the match, which was the final of the tournament, and the rest is history.

#3. Manoj Prabhakar

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Yes, this was a forced change. But, the fact is that Manoj Prabhakar did indeed switch from medium pace to off-spin in the 1996 World Cup league clash against Sri Lanka at his home ground in Delhi. India had batted first in the game, and posted an imposing 271 for 3 by 90s standards, courtesy Sachin Tendulkar’s blazing run-a-ball 137.

However, even before the Indian fans had finished celebrating Tendulkar’s genius, Sanath Jayasuriya gave them a rude jolt. The left-hander tore into Prabhakar, lashing him to the boundary on a constant basis. Sri Lanka raced to 71 in just seven overs as Prabhakar was carted for 33 runs in his first two overs.

With India lacking depth in bowling resources, skipper Mohammad Azharuddin called back Prabhakar into the attack. This time though he shifted to off-spin, and did much better, conceding 14 runs in his two overs. Prabhakar finished with unimpressive figures of 0 for 47 in his four overs, and was booed on his home ground.

In an irony of sorts, Prabhakar took the catch to dismiss Jayasuriya for 79, but Sri Lanka eased to victory by six wickets.

#4. Sohail Tanvir

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Former Pakistan left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir, who is renowned for bowling off the wrong foot, produced a spell of 6 for 14 in the inaugural edition of the IPL. But, not many would know that he could bowl spin too. In fact, he did so in a Test match against India.

In the 2007 Test against India at Eden Gardens, the fast bowlers were not getting much help. Seeing this, Tanvir decided to try something new. He actually sent down a few overs of left-arm orthodox spin, and looked quite at ease bowling them.

Apart from being a talented pacer, Tanvir was a useful attacking batsman lower down the order. His promising career was, unfortunately, cut short by injuries.

#5. Sachin Tendulkar

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Sachin Tendulkar

There is no specific instance as such, but it is a known fact that Sachin Tendulkar often bowled seam and spin in the same match. In fact, there have been occasions when he put up his whole repertoire for display in a single over itself -- off spin, leg spin, and medium pace.

The Indian genius ended his international career with 154 ODI and 46 Test wickets. But, for someone who holds most of the batting records in the business, his bowling contribution is often undervalued.