Fakhar Zaman made 193 in a losing ODI chase, thus making a new record.
Here we look at the record high scores in unsuccessful ODI chases:
Until now the record was 175 by Tendulkar against Australia in 2009. Oddly enough, the previous highest score in this category for Pakistan was ALSO by Fakhar Zaman (138 v Eng in 2019).
From the above table you can see that India is well represented.
For India alone, the highest scores in unsuccessful ODI chases are:
The West Indies has had many levels of aristocracy, such as Baron Constantine and Sir Frank Worrell. And the calypso men such as Lord Kitchener, Lord Beginner and Lord Relator.
So the tabloids in Barbados may well refer to Kyle Mayers as Lord Mayers of Chattogram.
(They might also be interested in what their heroine Rihanna says about India 🙂 )
Also his partner Nkrumah Bonner whose parents must have named him after the Ghanaian leader Kwame Nkrumah.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/content/player/348056.html
https://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/content/player/314650.html
Both of them have been prominent in domestic cricket for a while, but would probably not been on this tour if not for Covid.
Here are some of the records set during the chase of 395:
Most runs on debut (innings scores):
5th position here among the 6 who scored 200+
Most runs in a match on debut:
4th among the 12 who have made 200 in their debut match. Yasir Hameed did not score a century after making two on debut. Others such as Foster, Umar Akmal and Kuruppu did not last long, and Rowe somewhat under-performed though he played Tests up to 1980. He did make 302 against England in 1974.
Most runs in 4th innings on debut:
Mayers does top this list, surpassing India’s AA Baig who had provided a small silver lining to the 5-0 sweep in 1959. None of the other debutants except Yasir Hameed figured in successful chases.
Highest partnerships in successful chases (not only for debutants):
6th in this all-time list. No other instance where both were debutants. Gilchrist was playing his 2nd Test.
Most runs in unbeaten innings in successful run chase:
Here too Mayers is far ahead of the rest. No one else scored a century under these conditions. Next in line is a recent player Bancroft who was part of the Smith-Warner axis and probably will not play again.
This list also includes Lloyd, Lewis and Gimblett against India, besides Gavaskar for India against the West Indies. Maybe in some cases they hit the winning runs, but we need to check accounts of the match or commentary transcripts if available. It can be seen that Mayers did hit the winning run (a single).
Finally, we look at the cases of unbeaten 100+ scores in successful run chases (all instances, not only debutants):
Here Mayers is second only to Greenidge. India has Tendulkar and VVS near the bottom. There are also Haynes, Richards and Mark Taylor against India. But the next highest debutant after Mayers is Bancroft, as described above.
Tail piece: The WI captain Kraigg Brathwaite recorded his first win. His first 5 Tests as captain were losses.
Much has been said about the unexpected triumph at Brisbane, as in this:
https://abn397.wordpress.com/2021/01/19/a-quick-update-from-brisbane/
Here we look at statistical summaries of all Tests between these countries.
While Australia still leads by a healthy 43-30, India has also developed a strong home advantage over the last few decades.
We now look at individual performances.
Batting-most runs (750+):
The most centuries in these Tests is 11 by Tendulkar, followed by Ponting, Smith and Gavaskar with 8 apiece.
The most scores of 50+ is 27 by Tendulkar, 20 by Ponting and 18 by VVS Laxman.
The total runs are also in the same order. Pujara and Smith have the most runs by current players.
Next we look at highest innings (175+):
While there have been many tall scores over the years, this was a low-scoring series. The highest score by current players is 204 by Pujara in 2012-13. Next is 202 and 193 (both by Pujara!). Kohli’s highest is 169 which does not appear above.
Highest batting averages (Minimum 20 innings, 35.00):
Smith is followed by Boon and there is a large gap after that. Tendulkar has the highest average among Indian players. Pujara has the highest average among current Indian players, followed by Kohli and Rahane.
Highest strike rates (Min 1000 balls, 50.00):
Gilchrist is just ahead of Sehwag, and there is a long gap ahead of Warner. Other current players here are Smith, Kohli and Rahane. As you may expect, Pujara and Gavaskar are not in this list.
With the summer season of 2020 out of the way, we review Test captaincies up to Aug 31, 2020:
Most Tests
Headed by Tendulkar with 200. Anderson (156) and Broad (143) are unlikely to come near, although they may challenge Cook for the England record of 161.
Most Tests as captain:
GC Smith leads with 108. Kohli (55) will probably overtake Dhoni (60) but is unlikely to come near GC Smith. Root (44) is probably the only other captain who will move up a bit-but may not pass Cook’s England record of 59.
Most Tests not as captain:
Tendulkar again, with Anderson and Broad some distance behind.
The next logical question is to find who has played the
Most Tests without ever being captain:
The record was held by Warne for a long time. He has now been overtaken by Anderson with Broad just behind him. Other potential candidates like Ishant Sharma and Lyon are unlikely to come near. VVS Laxman has the India record of 134.
And finally
Those who were captains in all their Tests:
Many of them were from the glorious days of amateurs ruling the roost, although that does not apply to the first few names here. Germon and Poterfield are the only ones from recent times.
Also note the 5 who captained their sides in their only Tests. CA Smith was the only to have won their Test, and ultimately settled in Hollywood.
Also note the father-son duo of FT Mann and FG Mann.
Vizianagram or Vizzy joins his amateur English friends here.
After NZ’s 2-0 win, the record of Tests between these teams stands at:
A strong home advantage on both sides.
It is also worthwhile to see the WTC points table as on 03 March, where NZ has gained 120 points and India none:
We now look at individual performances, starting with
Batting records:
Most runs, (700 and above):
Taylor and Kohli have the highest totals among current players. Pujara and Williamson are further down.
The most centuries are by Dravid (6), and the most 50+ scores are 12 by Dravid and Tendulkar.
Highest innings scores (150 and above):
While there have been many high scores in the past, this was a low-scoring series. See the scores of Kohli, Rahane and other current players in recent years.
Mankad’s 231 was India’s highest Test score until Gavaskar crossed it with 236* in 1984.
Best batting averages (Min 20 innings, all instances):
Dravid has by far the highest average, followed by Dowling of the 1960s. Williamson and Taylor are further down.
Best strike rates (Min 1000 balls faced, all instances):
Sehwag is the fastest scorer by a large margin. Taylor and Kohli are the fastest among current players, followed by Rahane and Williamson.
To be continued
New Zealand won the series 3-0, the first such whitewash for India in ODIs for a long time.
We start with a listing of match results since the beginning of 2019:
India did win 4-1 in New Zealand just over a year ago. Then they lost to them in the World cup semi-final, and then the 3 matches in Feb 2020.
Here is the overall record of ODIs between these teams:
India still has an overall lead of 55-49 and 26-8 at home, while NZ leads 25-14 at home and marginally leads 16-15 at neutral venues. Certainly a strong home advantage on both sides. But India had won there in 2019.
Now for individual records, starting with
Batting:
Most runs (750 and above):
Taylor and Kohli are now in 2nd and 3rd place, though well below the first-placed Tendulkar. Williamson and Guptill are the other current players here.
Sehwag has the most centuries (6) followed by Tendulkar, Kohli and Astle with 5 apiece. The most scores of 50+ are 13 by Kohli and Tendulkar, followed by 11 by R Taylor.
Highest innings (110 and above):
Tendulkar has the two highest scores made a decade apart. Kohli’s 154* is the highest score by current players. But this series had fewer large individual scores, the highest being 112 by KL Rahul.
Highest batting averages (Min 20 innings, 30.00):
Kohli has the highest average here, with Dhoni (?) and Taylor the next highest among current players. Williamson and Rohit Sharma are also here.
Highest batting strike rate (Min 500 balls faced, 75.00):
The first two, Sehwag and Kapil, are at some distance from the next few. Kohli, Latham and Taylor lead among current players. Guptill and other current players are also seen here.
To be continued.
Continuing with our study of individual performances. Now for bowling.
Most wickets (20 or more):
Jadeja and Shami have the most wickets among current players. Cummins has the most among current Australian players.
Best innings bowling (includes all instances of 5wi):
The first two places are occupied by now-forgotten players. There is nothing from this series, although YS Chahal took 6-42 early in 2019. Cummins also had a fiver in 2019.
Best bowling averages (Min 1000 balls, all instances):
Brett Lee has a much better average than the second-placed Johnson. However Jadeja at 17th place has the best average among current players.
Kapil and McDermott have the best economy rates, and Lee and Agarkar (!) the best strike rates.
Now for fielding:
Most dismissals (15 or more):
Gilchrist and Dhoni are far ahead of the others, including Tendulkar who has the most catches by a non-keeper. Dhoni has the most stumpings. Kohli and Maxwell are the only current players here.
Most innings dismissals (4 or more):
Gilchrist and Dhoni again. Clarke is the only non-keeper with 4 catches.
Best dismissal rate (Min 20 innings, 0.500):
Gilchrist and Dhoni lead, with Maxwell having the best average for a non-keeper.
All-round performance (overall)-see criteria in table):
The first two (or three) would not generally be considered leading all-rounders, although they have done well in these contests.
All-round match performances (30 runs and 3 wickets):
The best performance here would be by Tendulkar, followed by Kapil and Watson (5 Nov 2009).
As you know, India won the series of January 2020 by a 2-1 margin.
Here are the results of ODIs between these teams since January 2019:
India won 2-1 in Australia in Jan 2019
Aus won 3-2 in Ind in Mar 2019
Ind won 1-0 in the World Cup in Jun 2019
Ind won 2-1 in Ind in Jan 2020
On the whole India has done better in the past year.
We also look at the results of all ODIs between these teams:
Australia still leads 78-51 overall but only 30-29 in India.
We now look at the individual performances in batting:
Most runs (750 and above):
RG Sharma and Kohli continue to move up though they have some distance to go to reach Tendulkar’s record. Finch and Dhawan are among the other current players here.
Tendulkar has the most centuries (9) followed by Kohli and Sharma with 8.
Tendulkar also has the most scores of 50-plus (24) and is predictably followed by Kohli and Sharma with 16.
Highest innings (125 or more):
Note that RG Sharma has the highest overall score in this series (209) as well as India’s highest in Australia (171*).
However, Smith (131) and Warner (128*) made the highest scores in this series.
Highest batting average (Min 20 innings, 35.00):
Sharma and Kohli are the top two. Dhawan and Finch are among the other current players here. Smith and Warner have not played enough to qualify.
Highest strike rate (Minimum 500 balls faced, 80.00):
Now you can see why Australian fans want Maxwell back in the team.
Dhawan and SPD Smith have the best strike rates among those who played in 2020.
To be continued:
It is easy enough to get updated tables like this:
(All these tables are updated to May 15, 2021):
Most Tests (120 and above)
Current players with the most Tests are Anderson (160) and Broad (146).
Another table which is easy to create:
Most Tests as Captain (40 and above):
Kohli is the only current player here. He has captained in 60 Tests and has equalled Dhoni (60). He overtook Ganguly (49), Gavaskar and Azharuddin (47) not long ago. Root is on 50.
But this one needs a little more work with Excel:
Most Tests NOT as Captain (90 and above):
Tendulkar and Kallis lead. The most by current players are 161 by Anderson and 146 by his team-mate Broad.
Now what about those who played the most Tests without ever captaining their sides (90 and above)?
Led by Anderson and Broad, who recently surpassed the long-standing record of Warne.
VVS Laxman (134) has the highest for India which will probably stand for a long time..
Other current players are Ishant Sharma (101) and NM Lyon (100).
Finally, those who played all their Tests as captains (all cases):
Most of them are from the olden days, except LK Germon (12). Perhaps there was an acute shortage of captaincy talent in New Zealand in the mid-90s. And there is Porterfield who captained Ireland in the only 3 Tests which they have played.
Note the 5 at the bottom who played only one Test, in which they were captain.
There are a fair number of the glorious amateurs and their counterparts like Vizianagaram.
The short history of Tests between these teams:
India has won 9 of the 11 Tests listed here; all 3 in India and 6 out of 8 in Bangladesh.
India now has 7 wins in a row and 4 in a row with innings wins.
After this series, India continued to lead the WTC by large margin:
Bangladesh is one of the 4 teams with no points.
Moving to individual performances, starting with
Batting:
Most runs (250 and above):
Tendulkar still leads, with Mushfiqur and Kohli the highest scorers among current players.
Highest innings (90 and above):
Kohli and Agarwal recorded centuries in this series, with Agarwal making the highest score against BD in India.
Bowling
Most wickets (8 and above):
Ishant Sharma is now in second place. Ashwin, UT Yadav and M Shami are also here
Best innings bowling (5wi and above):
Ishant’s 5-22 is the best for India in India (though only 3 of the 11 Tests have been played in India). Umesh also had a 5-for in the same Test.
Best match bowling (including all instances of 8wm and above):
Note Ishant and Umesh here, besides Shami.
Fielding:
Most dismissals (8 and above):
Dhoni leads, with Saha and Mushfiqur catching up. Dravid has the most as a non-keeper.
Most innings dismissals (3 and above):
Nothing special in this series.
Most match dismissals (5 and above):
Again, nothing special in this series.
All-round performances (match):
50+ and 5+wi:
Only one instance, which was in the first-ever Test between these teams. It was the high point of SB Joshi’s career.
If we stretch the criteria to include 50 + runs and 5+ wickets in a Test, we get a longer list:
While on the topic of clean sweeps in Test series, see this: https://abn397.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/clean-sweeps-in-test-series/
At the end of this series, 39 Tests had been played between these countries.
The World Test Championship results are now:
with India having more points than all other teams put together.
Result Summary:
In India: India won 11, SA 5 and 3 drawn (Total 19)
In SA: India won 3, SA 10 and 7 drawn (Total 20)
Total: India won 14, SA 15 and 10 drawn.
Strong home advantage on both sides.
We now look at individual performances:
Batting: Most runs (750 or more):
Also note: Most centuries 7 by Tendulkar and Kallis.
Most 50+ scores: 12 by the same pair and Amla.
The most runs by current players are 1075 (Kohli) and 758 (Pujara).
Highest innings (125 and more):
In this series we have Kohli’s 254* , MA Agarwal’s 215 and RG Sharma’s 212. For SA Elgar made 160 but hardly anyone from SA did anything after that.
Also remember that Sharma became the first to score two centuries on debut while opening-a feat which eluded the greats of the past such as Hobbs, Sutcliffe, Hutton and many others.
Batting averages (Minimum 20 innings, all instances):
Kallis leads, followed by Kohli at some distance. RG Sharma has not played enough yet.
Batting strike rates (Minimum 1000 balls faced, all instances):
The leader is not hard to guess, with current players Sharma and Kohli close behind. From SA the current players Elgar and du Plessis are considerably below..
Also note UT Yadav’s 10-ball blitz for 31 (310.00), which is the highest strike rate for any innings above 25.
To be continued:
RG Sharma made the 54th score of 200 and above in a Test for India. These include 3 of 300+ and 51 from 200-299. Kohli has the most such scores (7), although Sehwag has the highest scores both inside and outside India. Outside Asia, we go quite far down until we reach Tendulkar’s 241* at Sydney.
The first such score was Umrigar’s 223 in 1955, equalled in the next month by Mankad and then surpassed by him with 231 which remained the record until Gavaskar’s 236* in 1983.This was surpassed by VVS Laxman’s 281 in 2001, Sehwag’s 309 in 2004 and again by him in 2008.
The highest in a win is 309 by Sehwag, in a loss 201* by Sehwag and in a draw 319 by (who else) Sehwag. An unique triple.
Now we see who did the same against India:
4 triple centuries and 47 from 200-299.
McCullum and Ponting have each done this 3 times against India.
The highest score here is Jayasuriya’s 340, the highest outside Asia is Gooch’s 333 and the highest in India is M Jayawardene’s 275.
The best in a victory is 333 by Gooch, in a defeat 242 by Ponting and in a draw 340 by Jayasuriya. In fact, Ponting’s 242 is the highest in any Test defeat.
