Moeen Ali becomes fourth Englishman with this double: Key stats
England all-rounder Moeen Ali has become the fourth England player to register 3,000+ runs and 200+ wickets in Test cricket. He reached this landmark on Day 2 of the 4th Ashes Test at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester. Moeen is only the 16th player to record this double in the format. He came in at number three for England in the first innings.
Why does this story matter?
Only four players, including Moeen, have registered the double of 3,000+ runs and 200+ wickets (Tests). Legends Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff, and Stuart Broad are the other three with this feat. The inclusion of Moeen, who came out of Test retirement, gave England a boost for the all-important Ashes. Moeen adds depth to the batting order, while his off-spin has always been a boon.
A massive double for Moeen
Before the 2023 Ashes, Moeen required 86 runs and five wickets to complete 3,000 runs and 200 wickets in Tests. Botham (5,200 and 383), Flintoff (3,795 and 219), and Broad (3,640 and 600) are the only England all-rounders with this feat. Besides Broad, Ravichandran Ashwin and Shakib Al Hasan are the other active all-rounders with this double.
45th Englishman with 3,000 Test runs
In the third Test at Headingley, Moeen completed 200 wickets in Test cricket. He became only the third England spinner and 16th overall English bowler to reach this landmark. Meanwhile, the left-handed batter became the 45th England batter to get to 3,000 Test runs. He is England's fifth-highest run-scorer and third-highest wicket-taker in Tests among active players.
Moeen retired in 2021 before making a U-turn
It is important to note that Moeen announced his retirement from Test cricket in September 2021. The England all-rounder had taken the step to prolong his white-ball career. Moeen continued to represent England in white-ball cricket and play franchise cricket thereafter. He last appeared in whites against India at The Oval in 2021 before he made a U-turn.
A look at his Test stats
Moeen made his Test debut in 2014 against Sri Lanka at Lord's. The 35-year-old became England's premier spinning all-rounder, especially away from home. He has amassed more than 3,000 runs at over 28 in the format. The tally also includes five centuries and 14 fifties. Moeen also owns 201 wickets with the best match haul of 10/112. He has five fifers and one 10-for.
