A bowler getting both father and son out in Test cricket… rare, but it's happened a few times. All of them, interestingly, featuring either a Chanderpaul or a Cairns.
Ian Botham vs Lance and Chris Cairns
Lance Cairns, the New Zealand fast-bowling allrounder, started his Test career in 1974 and played his last Test in 1985. His son Chris Cairns, also a fast-bowling allrounder, played Test cricket from 1989 to 2004. Ian Botham started not long after Lance, in 1977, and continued till three years after Chris started, in 1992.
The first time Botham got the better of Lance was in the Trent Bridge Test of 1978, the batter lbw for a duck in the second innings as England romped to an innings-and-119-run win.
Then, again in England in 1983, Botham got Lance's wicket twice. The first time was at The Oval, where he sent Lance back caught by Allan Lamb on his way to a four-wicket haul, and then at Lord's, this time during another four-for.
Chris came up against Botham in just one series, in New Zealand in 1992, and while Phil Tufnell troubled him the most, he did fall to Botham once - caught behind by Jack Russell in Wellington.
Wasim Akram vs Lance and Chris Cairns
Wasim Akram played more against Chris than Lance.
The only time Akram got Lance out was in Dunedin, during a burst of 5 for 56 (he had ten for the match), in 1985, Lance's last year in Tests.
Ten years later, Chris went up against Akram in Christchurch, and was bowled for 76 in the first innings.
Mitchell Starc vs Shivnarine and Tagenarine Chanderpaul
Tagenarine Chanderpaul started in Test cricket in December 2022, and with his father Shivnarine Chanderpaul playing over two decades of Test cricket - he officially retired only in 2016, in case you were wondering - there are a handful of instances of bowlers getting both Chanderpauls out. Three, to be exact.
Mitchell Starc got there first.
His only success against Shivnarine was in 2012, the last time the West Indian played Test cricket against Australia. It was in Roseau, in the first West Indies innings, when he was trapped lbw, but not before scoring 68.
With Tagenarine, Starc has struck in both the Tests in which they have gone up against each other. The first time was in Perth in late 2022, and the next one was in the subsequent Test in Adelaide, a day-nighter. Incidentally, in that game, Starc also ran Tagenarine out with a direct hit in the first innings.
Simon Harmer vs Shivnarine and Tagenarine Chanderpaul
You probably didn't expect Simon Harmer in this list. He has played just ten Tests. Tagenarine has played (the ongoing one against India included) just seven. Even with Shivnarine's 164, what are the odds!
Turns out, Harmer got a Chanderpaul out each time he played a Test against West Indies.
In January 2015, Harmer was in action in Cape Town against Chanderpaul senior and had him stumped - by AB de Villiers - down the leg side in the first innings, and in March 2023, in Johannesburg, he had Chanderpaul junior nicking to Dean Elgar at second slip (off the keeper's gloves) in the second innings.
R Ashwin vs Shivnarine and Tagenarine Chanderpaul
And finally, R Ashwin. Amazingly, he has had a Chanderpaul's wicket five times in Test cricket.
You know about the latest - Tagenarine bowled by a magic delivery in the ongoing Roseau Test.
And here are the four times he has got rid of Shivnarine - all in India, over two series.
In 2011, Ashwin had Shivnarine's wicket twice.
The first time was in the first Test, in Delhi, when he sent the batter back lbw for 47 in the second innings during a Player-of-the-Match performance. The second time was in the next Test, in Kolkata, Shivnarine trapped lbw again.
Cut to 2013, and Ashwin struck twice again.
In the first match of a two-Test series, in Kolkata, Ashwin hit Chanderpaul's stumps. Then, in the second Test at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, an lbw in the second innings. In that Test, Ashwin also took the catch to dismiss Shivnarine, off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, in the first innings.