Review of Ind vs Aus Tests (2023)-Part 1

India won the series 2-1. This was their 4th consecutive series win against Australia.

A total of 106 Tests have been played between these teams.

Australia leads 44-32 with 1 tie and 29 draws.

Both sides do much better at home:

In Australia, Aus lead 30-9 with 13 draws.

In India, Aus trail 14-23 with 1 tie and 16 draws.

We now look at individual records, staring with Batting:

Most runs (1000 and more):

Tendulkar leads by a lrge margin, followed by Ponting. Pujara, Kohli and Smith lead among current players.

Highest innings (175 and above):

While there are many large scores here (including VVSL’s legendary 281), the highest scores from this series are 186 by Kohli and 180 by Khawaja.

The most centuries are 11 by Tendulkar.

The most 50+ scores are 27 by Tendulkar and 20 by Ponting.

Highest batting average (Minimum 20 innings, 40 and above):

The unexpected leader is David Boon, ahead of Steve Smith. Bradman is not here because he did not play enough. Smith, Kohli and Pujara represent current players.

Highest strike rates (Minimum 1000 balls faced, 50 and above):

Headed by Gilchrist and Sehwag. Warner, Hayden and Bradman are next. Warner, S Smith and Kohli have the highest strike rates among current players.

To be continued.

Review of Australia-West Indies Tests-Part 2

Hope that you have read Part 1.

Continuing with individual performances in

Fielding:

Most dismissals (40 and above):

Led by Dujon (86 dismisals) and Healy (78). Dujon’s tally included 2 as a fielder.

The most stumpings are 9 by GRA Langley, and the most catches as a fielder are 45 by ME Waugh.

Most dismissals in an innings (5 and more):

RD Jacobs is the only one with 7 catches in an innings, followed by AT Carey with 6 more recently. No fielder has taken more than 4 catches in an innings.

Most dismissals in a match (7 and more):

DA Murray, Jacobs and Carey have all taken 9 in a match. However, no fielder has taken more than 6 in a match.

Dismissal rate (Minimum 20 innings, 0.700):

Led by Jacobs, with Gilchrist and Grout close behind. The best by a fielder is by RB Simpson, followed by ME Waugh.

All-round performances:

Career (see criteria in table):

Sobers, Worrell and Marshall have the best performances here.

Match (Minimum one 50+ and one 5wi):

A long list. Of special note are those with a century and 5wi: Atkinson and Miller.

And those with a 50 and 10wm: AK Davidson, and the non-regular bowlers Border and Bevan.

Davidson was the first to score over 100 runs and take 10 wickets in a match. Only 3 others (Botham, Imran and Shakib) have done this.

Review of Australia-Sri Lanka Tests (July 2022)-Pt 2

Hope you have seen Part 1.

Continuing with individual performances in

Fielding:

Most dismissals (12 or more):

Headed by Gilchrist and Healy, with Sangakkara some distance behind. Kusal Mendis (14) has the most among current players.

The most stumpings, however, are 6 by Kaluwitharana. The most by a fielder are 20 by M Jayawardene.

Most dismissals in an innings (4 or more):

Only Carey among current players.

Most dismissals in a match (6 or more):

Gilchrist and Healy lead again. Hayden is one of several fielders to have taken 7 catches in a match, which was a world record until Rahane took 8, also against Sri Lanka.

The most stumpings in a match is 3.

Highest dismissal rate (Minimum 20 innings, 0.500)

Led by Sangakkara with a combination of dismissals as keeper and fielder. M Jayawardene has the best dismissal rate among fielders.

All-round performances:

Overall (see criteria in table):

Only C Vaas appears here, and his difference is not enough for a genuine all-rounder.

Match performance (minimum one 50+ and one 5+wi):

Only 2 instances here. MDK (Dilruwan) Perera made the double of 50 and 10wm.

Australia-England series review-2

Hope you have seen the first part:

Australia-England series review-1

Continuing with individual performances in

Bowling:

Most wickets (90 or more):

Headed by Warne and Lillee. Current players are headed by Broad (131), Anderson (112) and Lyon (101).

Best innings bowling (including all 8wi or more):

Headed by Laker. SCJ Broad is in 4th place with 8-15 in 2015. No one else from recent times, unless you count McGrath’s 8-38 in 1997.

Best match bowling (including all 12wm or more):

Laker heads this table as well, with Massie’s freak debut in second place. From recent years the best is 12-246 by Warne in 2005.

Best bowling averages (Minimum 2000 balls, 25.00 or less):

Here we do have some current players such as PJ Cummins (20.75) and Hazlewood (24.45).

Lohmann has the best bowling average (13.01), Attewell the best economy rate (1.31) and Ferris the best strike rate (42.2)

Now we look at

Fielding:

Most dismissals (40 or more):

Headed by RW Marsh (148), though there are several current players such as Paine, SPD Smith and Bairstow. The specialist stumper Oldfield has 31 stumpings besides 59 catches. Among fielders, the highest is 61 by GS Chappell. Current players include SPD Smith (46).

Most dismissals in an innings (5 or more):

Several keepers have taken 6 in an innings. No fielder has more than 4. Oldfield has 4 stumpings.

In this series, Carey and Billings each took 5 catches on debut.

Most dismissals in a match (7 or more):

Several keepers have taken 9 in a match. Also note GS Chappell’s 7 as a fielder. He was the first Test player to achieve this, although several others have equaled this (and India’s Rahane has taken 8).

In this series AT Carey took 8 dismissals on debut. All 8 were catches, which is a record in all Tests. Others have taken 8 on debut but included one or more stumpings.

See https://abn397.wordpress.com/2021/12/11/alex-careys-records-in-the-brisbane-test/

Best dismissal rate (Minimum 20 innings, 0.75):

Headed by Gilchrist and Haddin, with Bairstow, Buttler and SPD Smith from current players. LC Braund has the best (0.973) among pure fielders.

All-round performances:

Career figures (see criteria in table):

KR Miller leads by a large margin. Stokes represents the current players.

Match performances (50 and 5wi):

A long list. The best would be those with 100/5wi (JM Gregory, Botham) and with 50/10wm (W Bates, Trumble and Woolley).

Australia-England series review-1

Australia won this series 4-0 and came within one wicket of making it 5-0. They had already achieved this against England in 1920-21, 2006-07 and 2013-14.

Last-wicket pairs thwarting defeat are more common than one would imagine. Here is a complete list of these instances in Tests:

This was only the second such instance in Aus-Eng Tests. The earlier one was at Manchester in 2005.

India also appears a number of times in this list, both as thwarter and thwartee.

Here is the summary of matches between Australia and England. Remember that there are some Tests which are not considered as Ashes contests.

Australia’s dominance at home is clear, and they almost lead England in England as well.

We now look at individual performances, starting with

Batting:

Most runs (2000 and more):

Many famous names here. Bradman has the most centuries (19) followed by Hobbs with 12.

Bradman also has the most 50+ scores (31) followed by Border with 29.

You will struggle to find current players here. They are SPD Smith with 3044 with Root just scraping in with 2016. Going a little further back there is Cook with 2493.

Highest innings (200 or more):

In recent years there are 244* by Cook (2017), 239 and 215 by Smith (2017 and 2015).

Highest batting averages (Minimum 20 innings, 45.00 or more):

SPD Smith is No 4 (after Bradman, Sutcliffe and Barrington). No one else from the last few years, unless you count CJL Rogers who played a few Tests in 2013-2015.

Highest strike rates (Minimum 1000 balls faced, 50.00 or more):

Oddly enough, SCJ Broad has the 4th highest strike rate (after Gilchrist, Flintoff and Prior). And Warne is 5th. Warner, SPD Smith and Stokes are also here.

To be continued.

Kings of the fourth-innings chase (Revised-Sep 2021)-Pt 3

This continues from https://abn397.wordpress.com/2021/09/25/kings-of-the-fourth-innings-chase-revised-sep-2021-pt-2/

Here we look at the best fielding performances in the fourth innings for the winning team.

Most dismissals: (15 and above):

Headed by Gilchrist, Haddin and Healy, who kept for Australia for most Tests between 1989 and 2015.

Current players include de Kock, the just-retired Watling, Bairstow, Paine and Pant.

India’s players are headed by Pant, followed by non-keeper Kohli, Dhoni and another non-keeper Dravid.

Most dismissals in an innings (5 and above):

Watling is the only one with 6 dismissals, followed by many with 5. Apart from GC Smith, no non-keeper has taken more than 4 catches. Healy appears here twice.

Of special note is KS More’s 5 stumpings. This is the world record for stumpings in an innings. 4 of these were off debutant Hirwani.

Most dismissals per innings (Minimum 15 innings):

Headed by de Kock, closely followed by Haddin.

The best by current players are by de Kock, Bairstow, Buttler and Stokes.

For India, the best are by Dravid and Kohli-both non-keepers. Indian keepers (apart from More) do not seem to have done well in winning matches in the fourth innings.

All-round records-Batting and fielding-2

Continued from here:

abn397.wordpress.com/2020/11/12/all-round-records-batting-and-fielding-1/

Looking at career figures (minimum 2000 runs and 100 dismissals):

These figures are correct up to 31 Aug 2020, and do not include the ICC XI Test in 2005.

The current players can be seen at the bottom, from Mushfiqur Rahim downwards.

It may be more meaningful to segregate the figures of dismissals for 1) designated wicket-keepers and 2) not designated wicket-keepers

Designated wicket-keepers: 2000 runs and 100 dismissals:

The most runs here are by Boucher (5498) and Gilchrist (5475), with several in the 4000s. The most dismissals are by Boucher (553) and Gilchrist (409). From India, we have Kirmani and Dhoni.

Not designated wicket-keepers: 2000 runs and 100 dismissals:

The most runs here are by Ponting (13278), Dravid (13265) and Kallis (13206) with several others above 10000. The most dismissals are by Dravid (209) and M Jayawardene (205).

From India we have Gavaskar, Azharuddin, Tendulkar, Dravid, and Laxman.

Also note those with over 100 wickets: Sobers, Botham, Hooper, Warne and Kallis. #3 and #4 would usually not be considered great all-rounders.

Next, we will look more closely at those who played sometimes as designated wicket-keepers and sometimes not.

Review of India-Australia ODI series-2

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).

Review of Australia-New Zealand Tests-2

Hope that you have read part 1

Continuing with the individual performances.

Bowling:

Most wickets (25 or more):

Sir Richard Hadlee and SK Warne are far ahead of everyone else. The former has the most 5-fors (14) and 10-fors (3)

Best innings bowling (including all 6wi and more):

Hadlee again has the best performance. Strangely enough no Australian bowler has taken more than 6wi. Predictably that was Warne.

Best match bowling (including all 10wm and more):

Hadlee still again, followed by Vettori. Hadlee’s 15-1243 is the best of New Zealand against all teams. He also scored a fifty in that match, and took 33 wickets in that 3-Test series in Australia in 1985-86.

Best bowling average (Min 2000 balls, all instances):

Here Lyon just edges in ahead of Hadlee. Chatfield has the best economy rate and Lyon the best strike rate.

Fielding:

Most dismissals (20 or more):

RW Marsh is far ahead of the next. Border has the most (31) dismissals by a non-keeper.

Most innings dismissals (5 or more):

Marsh is among those with 5 dismissals. No non-keeper has 5 catches.

Most match dismissals (7 or more):

Gilchrist has the most dismissals, while no non-keeper has 7 catches.

Best dismissal rate (Min 20 innings, 0.600):

Marsh predictably leads this table. The highest dismissal rate by a non-keeper is by MA Taylor.

All-round performance (Overall):

See criteria in table.

Warne and Hadlee lead. Warne’s Test highest of 99 came against New Zealand.

All-round match performance (fifty and 5-for):

Hadlee’s 54 and 15 wickets takes pride of place here. Dodemaide’s 50 and 5wi came on his debut, while he failed to make either in the rest of his career.

 

 

 

Review of Australia-New Zealand Tests-1

The overall results at the end of this series:

As Australia won all 3 Tests, they gained 120 points for the World Test Championship. The points table as of 06 Jan 2020:

Australia won their second clean sweep in a 3-Test series against New Zealand. They had earlier done this in New Zealand in 1999-2000.

While New Zealand has lost most of their series against Australia, they did win both at home and away in 1985-86 thanks mainly to RJ Hadlee.

Now for individual performances in Batting:

Most runs (750 or more):

Warner, Taylor and Smith are the current players here.

The most centuries are 5 by Border and Warner.

The most 50+ scores are 11 by Border and Boon.

Highest innings (140 and above):

None of these high scores are from this series, although there are some from 2015 and 2016. Taylor and Warner made the top scores for these teams in the same Test in 2015.

Highest batting averages (Min 20 innings, all instances):

Taylor and Southee represent the current players. Warner has not played enough in this series. JL Langer has a large lead over the next-placed Greg Chappell.

Highest batting strike rates (Min 1000 balls faced, 50.00):

Gilchrist leads by a large margin over Warner and Taylor.

To be continued:

 

Best performances by losing captains-2

Hope that you have read part 1: https://abn397.wordpress.com/2018/08/05/best-performances-by-losing-captains/

We look at other performances by captains in tests lost by their team. We will see that India is well represented here.

Best innings bowling (including all instances of 5wi and above):

Kapil is the only captain who has taken more than 7 wickets here. BS Bedi, Imran Khan and Courtney Walsh have multiple appearances. Current players include Shakib Al Hasan (multiple appearances), Graeme Cremer and Jason Holder.

Best match bowling (8wm and above):

Kapil again heads this, from that same match in 1983. Bedi is the only other one with a 10-for. Current players include Jason Holder and Graeme Cremer.

Best innings fielding (5 dismissals):

Includes a few current players such as Mushfiqur, SPD Smith and Sarfraz. Sammy and Smith are the only non-keepers here.

Best match fielding (6 dismissals):

Current player Sarfraz Ahmed tops this list along with AC Gilchrist, while MS Dhoni and SPD Smith also appear. SP Fleming and SPD Smith (twice) are the only non-keepers. Gilchrist was a “regular” stand-in captain.

Best all-round performance (50 and 5wi):

Holder and Shakib from the present, while Imran Khan has two appearances from the same series in 1982. The best performances would by by Imran (July 1982) and Holder.

 

Records of “Ashes” ODIs-2

Continuing the studies of past ODIs involving England and Australia.

Bowling:

Most wickets (20 and above):

Brett Lee leads by a large margin over the runner-up McGrath. Rashid and Ali lead among current players.

Brett Lee is the only one to have taken more than one fiver. He also has taken the most (4) 4+ hauls.

Best innings bowling (including all 5wi):

Not much from recent times, the best being 5-35 by Tom Curran earlier in 2018. Bichel’s 7-34 came in a hard-fought World Cup match. Similarly for Gilmour’s 6-14 in the semi-final of the first World Cup. Both of them made useful contributions with the bat as well, 34* by Bichel and 28* by Gilmour (useful when the team is 39/6 chasing 94).

Best bowling averages (Minimum 1000 balls, all cases):

McGrath and Lee lead, with Rashid and Ali lead amongst the present players.

The best economy rate is 4.02 by Botham, and the best strike rate 29.8 by Rashid.

Fielding:

Most dismissals (15 and above):

Gilchrist leads but Buttler is quickly catching up. Buttler also has the most stumpings.

The most dismissals by non-keepers are 18 by Strauss and 17 by Clarke and Ponting.

Most dismissals in an innings (4 and above):

Gilchrist is the only one with 6 dismissals.

Dismissal rate (Minimum 20 innings, 0.500):

Gilchrist and Buttler lead. Root has the best amongst non-keepers.

All-round performances:

Career (see criteria in table):

Surprisingly Collingwood comes up higher than Botham and Johnson, mainly because of his batting.

Match performance (Minimum 30 runs and 3 wickets):

The best performance here would be Bichel’s in the 2003 World Cup, probably followed by Maxwell’s in 2015.