Top 5 players with most Man of the Series awards in Tests

2. Jacques Kallis

South Africa’s best player and arguably the greatest all-rounder to have played the game

Such is the need for balance in the modern game that teams always find it difficult to put out the players they want, particularly because of the varying conditions and the opposition that they face. All-rounders in particular are a rare commodity who are always cherished by their sides.

So rare in fact, that very few have managed to stand the test of time in the longest format of the game. One of the few that did was South Africa’s Jacques Kallis who enjoyed a long and successful Test career that spanned nearly two decades and helped establish him as perhaps the greatest all-rounder to have played the game.

What makes Kallis’ achievements so much more outstanding was his importance to the side with both bat and ball in hand. With over 13,000 Test runs and nearly 300 wickets, he was one of the few players who were able to be an asset with the bat, ball and in the field for an extended period of time. In that time, he finished with 9 Man of the Series awards which is just two shy of the all-time Test record.