A Statistical look at Moeen Ali’s all-round abilities

The bearded assassin from England, with a monk-like calmness, might deceive with his looks, but he lets his cricket do the talking. Although a surprise retirement by Graeme Swann opened the door for Moeen Ali, who thought of himself as a batsman who could bowl off-spin, has bloomed into a genuine match-winner with both the bat and the ball. Be it in the fast-paced limited-overs cricket, or the rigours of a red-ball game, his aggression has never faded away. Bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore before the 2018 season, Moeen has become an integral part of RCB.

Here’s a look at five facts and records from the eye-catching career of one of the few all-rounders who can on their day turn a game on its head with both the bat and the ball.

10 - Moeen Ali is one of only 5 English spinners to have taken 10 wickets in a Test match at the Home of cricket -  Lord’s. The incredible feat came in a Test match against South Africa in 2017. It wasn’t his only contribution to the team, as his 87 with the bat in the first innings, coming in when England were in a spot of bother at 190/5, carried the team to 458. England eventually won the game by 211 runs. Moeen was declared the Player of the match. The previous time the feat was achieved by an English spinner was 43 years ago by Derek Underwood in 1974 against Pakistan. The previous time a player scored a half-century and took 10 wickets in a single Test match for England was way back in 1980 by Ian Botham against India in Mumbai.

25 - Moeen Ali in the 2017 Test series against South Africa took 25 wickets. That is the second most number of wickets taken by an English spinner against South Africa in a Test series, falling only behind 26 taken by Colin Blythe in 1907, and Johnny Wardle in 1956.

53 - Moeen Ali’s 53-ball century against West Indies in 2017 is the third-fastest by an English batsman in ODIs. England had lost half their side by the end of the 33rd over when Moeen walked in. Batting with the potent English lower order, Moeen smashed 102 off only 57 balls, his century coming up in only 52 balls. The record for the fastest and the second-fastest ODI centuries are both held by Jos Buttler - once in 46 and the other in 50 balls, both coming against Pakistan.

8 - The number of sixes Moeen Ali smashed in that same innings against the West Indies are the most by any English batsman batting at No.7. England won the game by a comfortable margin of 124 runs.

19 - Moeen Ali’s wickets tally of 19 in the 2014 5-match Test series versus India are the second-most by an English spinner at home against India. His 19 scalps is just one short of Ray Illingworth’s tally in 1967. His torment of India however would not stop at that, as the Indian batsmen struggled against Moeen’s off-spinners when they returned to the English shores four years later in 2018. Moeen again picked up 12 wickets in only 2 Test matches.