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England’s contribution from their trio of allrounders is unprecedented; no Test nation has ever had two players, let alone three, pass 500 runs and 40 wickets in the same calendar year.
Only 15 men in Test history have achieved the double of 500 runs and 40 wickets in a calendar year but England look set to add three players to that exclusive list on their tour of India, and could reasonably lay claim to fielding one of the most versatile teams ever assembled in the game’s oldest format.
With two more Tests to play in 2016, England allrounders Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes are within touching distance of completing the rare feat.
Having notched five Test tons between them in 2016, Moeen (838 runs for the year) and Stokes (826 runs) have both gone well past the 500-run mark this year.
Moeen needs six more wickets and Stokes eight to join the 500-run, 40 wicket club.
Woakes meanwhile claimed his 40th wicket for the year with the scalp of Murali Vijay in the third Test in Mohali and after his handy contributions of 25 and 30 in that match, the 27-year-old is now just 18 runs away from reaching 500 in 2016.
England’s contribution from their trio of allrounders is unprecedented; no Test nation has ever had two players, let alone three, pass 500 runs and 40 wickets in the same calendar year.
India's allrounder Ravichandran Ashwin completed the rare double in Mohali. He has till now scored 545 runs and picked up a staggering 59 wickets.