We continue with individual performances in Fielding:
Most dismissals (20 or more):
Headed by Dhoni and Dujon, with others far behind. Dhoni has the most stumpings (14). Richards (26) and Hooper (25) have the most catches by a fielder. Dravid has 27 dismissals including 10 as a keeper and 17 as a fielder.
Most innings dismissals (4 or more):
Ramdin is the only one with 5 dismissals. Dravid is the only one with 4 catches as a fielder.
Highest dismissal rate (Min 20 innings, 0.600):
Headed by Ramdin, closely followed by Jacobs and Dhoni. Richards has the highest dis rate by a fielder, ahead of the “hybrid” Dravid.
All-round performance:
Overall (see criteria in table):
Richards and Hooper are the only ones who can be called true all-rounders.
After India’s 2-0 victory, this is the summary of Tests between these teams:
Overall: India leads 11-0 with 2 draws
In India, India leads 3-0 with no draws.
In Bangladesh, India lead 8-0 with 2 draws.
This series was only significant as the second Test was probably the first time that Bangladesh had a significant chance of winning against India.
We now look at individual performances, starting with
Batting:
Most runs (250 or more):
Headed by Tendulkar with Mushfiqur Rahim in second place. Other current players near the top are Pujara and Kohli.
Highest innings (100 or more):
The current series was low-scoring, with only 3 scores above 100 with a top score of 110 by Gill. Zakir Hasan scored 100 on debut, as did Aminul Islam in the first Test between these teams.
The most centuries are 5 by Tendulkar and 3 by Dravid. The most scores of 50+ are 6 by Pujara and 5 by Tendulkar.
There is not enough data for meaningful calculation of averages. For Strike Rates, we have this for a minimum of 1000 balls faced.
We can see that Tendulkar has a big lead over the second-placed Mushfiqur.
Now for’
Bowling:
Most wickets (8 or more):
Zaheer Khan has a big lead over the second-placed I Sharma. Shakib (21 wkts) has the most for Bangladesh.
The most instances of 5wi are 3 by Pathan and 2 by Zaheer Khan. These two are also the only ones to take 10wms.
Best innings bowling (5wi or better):
Note Naimur Rehman’s performance in the first Test between these countries, which remains the best innings bowling for Bangladesh.
Best match bowling (including all cases of 8wm or better):
Note that no Bangladeshi bowler has taken more than 7 wickets in a match.
There is not enough data to get meaningful data for bowling averages etc.
Fielding:
Most dismissals (8 or more):
Led by Dhoni with Karthik and others close behind. Dravid has the most catches by a fielder. Mushfiqur and Pant.
represent the current players.
Most innings dismissals (4 or more):
Led by Dhoni and Mushfiqur.
Most match dismissals (5 or more):
Dhoni has the top position to himself here. SS Das and SC Ganguly have the most catches as fielders.
All-round match performance (50+ and 5wi):
Only one instance, which marked the highlight of SB Joshi’s Test career. This was in the first Test between these teams.
India won the home ODI series against South Africa 2-1, after losing the away series 3-0 earlier in 2022. They also lost the first match of the series by a small margin before winning the next two by convincing margins.
Here we summarise all the ODIs between the two teams. India was the first team to play international matches against South Africa after their return in 1991-92. India had also won that series 2-1.
Summary of all ODIs between these teams:
South Africa leads overall and at home, while India leads at home and is almost at par at neutral venues.
Individual performances, starting with
Batting:
Most runs (750 and above):
Tendulkar has many more runs than the second-placed Kallis. Kohli has the most among current players.
The most centuries are 6 by de Kock and de Villiers, followed by 5 by Tendulkar.
Dravid has the most 50+ scores (14 with no century), followed by Kallis, Kirsten and Tendulkar with 13.
Highest innings (115 and above):
Headed by Tendulkar again.
Highest batting averages (Minimum 20 innings and 25.00):
Here Kirsten is just above Kallis and Kohli.
Kohli and Dhawan have the best among current players.
At the start of the 2nd Test between England and South Africa at Manchester, it was mentioned that JM Anderson was the first to play 100 Tests at home.
This is true. Let us also look who has played the most Tests overall, away and neutral.
These figures include all those playing in the Manchester Test of 2022, and do not include the ICC XI v Aus Test of 2005.
Most Tests (125 or more):
Tendulkar (200) is followed by Anderson (174) and SR Waugh (168). The next from India is Dravid (163).
Also: Anderson (174), Broad (158), Warne (144) and VVS Laxman (134) have played the most Tests without ever captaining their sides.
Most Tests at home (60 or more):
Anderson leads with 100, followed closely by Tendulkar (94), Broad and Ponting (91 each). The next from India is again Dravid (70).
Most Tests away (other than neutral venues), 60 or more.
Tendulkar leads with 106, followed by Dravid with 93. Next is Chanderpaul with 81. Ponting, Anderson and Broad are further down.
And finally,
Most Tests at neutral venues (7 or more):
As you may guess, Pakistani players dominate this list starting with Asad Shafiq (30), Azhar Ali (29) and Younis Khan (28).
The highest by a non-Pakistani player is 8 by R Herath, followed by several others with 7. These include some NZ players who played in the WTC final against India in England in 2021.
This series was the first time India had played Zimbabwe in ODIs since 2016. India won 3-0, following their earlier clean sweeps in 2013, 2015 and 2016.
Summary of all ODIs between these teams:
India leads 54-10 overall and 22-4 in Zimbabwe.
We now look at individual performances, starting with
Batting:
Most runs (500 or more):
Tendulkar and Ganguly have almost the same totals. No current players here. The most are by Sikandar Raza (388) and S Dhawan (367).
The most centuries are 5 by Tendulkar and 3 by Ganguly.
The most 50+ scores are 12 by A Flower and 11 by A Campbell
Highest innings (100 or more):
Here there are some new records:
Shubham Gill’s 130 is the highest for India in Zimbabwe (surpassing Tendulkar’s 127* in 1998)
Sikandar Raza’s 115 is the highest for Zimbabwe at home vs India (surpassing E Chigumbura’s 104* in 2015).
“YJ” Bairstow became the latest to score a century in each innings against India. Bradman was the first to do this:
This the only “double” by Bradman.
Also note the 300 +100 by Gooch. Strauss is the only other one to score centuries in both innings for England against India.
Gooch also holds the record for the most runs in a Test.
Bradman and Gooch were both captaining their sides.
Those who scored a century in both innings for India:
Gavaskar did it thrice (twice against WI) and Dravid twice. Kohli, Rahane and RG Sharma are the most recent ones. Gavaskar (Dec 1978) and Kohli were captaining their sides.
When Hazare made his double against Bradman’s team, it was the first time he had crossed 50.
Gavaskar’s 344 remains the most runs in a match by an Indian batsman. VVS Laxman’s 340 (59 + 281) is next.
India won the 2-Test series 1-0. The summary of all Tests between these teams is
Both sides have considerable home advantage.
The neutral Test at Southampton in 2021 is India’s only neutral Test.
The second Test has a host of records, including the lowest total against India (62) and India’s highest innings margin (372 runs). Both these records were earlier held by South Africa in their series in 2015. These previous records were 79 at Nagpur and 337 runs at Delhi.
Here we concentrate on individual records, starting with Batting:
Dravid has the most centuries (6). He and Tendulkar have 12 scores of 50+
Most runs (750 and above):
Dravid and Tendulkar head this list. R Taylor has the most runs (890) among current players, with Williamson, Pujara and Kohli bunched together after that.
Highest innings (175 and above):
The highest score in recent years is Kohli’s 211 in 2016.
Highest averages (Minimum 20 innings, all instances):
Note that Dravid’s average is much higher that that of the second-placed Dowling.
Kohli and Pujara have the highest averages among current players.
Highest strike rates (Minimum 1000 balls faced, all instances):
Taylor and Kohli have the highest SRs among current players.
Now for individual Bowling records:
Most wickets (25 and above):
R Ashwin with 66 wickets moved just ahead of Sir Richard Hadlee with 65. Next highest among current players is TG Southee (52).
Ashwin has the most 5-fors (6) and 10-fors (3).
Best innings bowling (including all 7wi and above):
AY Patel now has the record, moving ahead of Venkataraghavan’s 8-for in 1965.
Best match bowling (including all 10wm and above):
AY Patel again, who moved ahead of R Ashwin’s 13-140 in 2016.
Bowling averages (Minimum 2000 balls bowled, all instances):
R Ashwin has the best average with 15.43. The next among current players is TG Southee with 24.69.
The best economy rates are 1.52 by RG Nadkarni (who else?) and 1.68 by BS Bedi.
The best strike rates are 35.7 by R Ashwin followed by 46.9 by TG Southee.
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.
Notdesignated 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.
In the ongoing Test at Kingston, India registered a somewhat rare triumph of a fifty at No 9 along with a century partnership.
Fifty plus by No 9 batsmen from India:
Ishant Sharma’s 57 is a little below the middle. There are several Indians above him, led by J Yadav who vanished as quickly as he got into the team. Even a century at no 9 does not help.
Century partnership for the 8th wicket by India:
Again, the partnership of 112 by Vihari and Ishant is a little below the middle. There is one against WI a little higher (120* by Dravid and Sarandeep in 2002).
For the sake of comparison, we also look at:
Fifty plus at No 9 against the West Indies:
Here, too, Ishant is a bit lower than the middle. The highest for India is 79 by Kunderan in 1966-67. The highest for India in the West Indies is 68 by BS Sandhu. Oddly enough, Sandhu’s 71 against Pakistan in 1982-83 is the best on debut by a No 9 in all Tests.
Century partnerships for the 8th wicket against the West Indies:
The Vihari – Sharma partnership is the 8th highest here, while the 120* by Dravid and Sarandeep is the 6th highest. The highest partnership of 217 was part of one of the more remarkable comebacks in all Tests, when Brian Close captained for the first time:
With India finishing its commitments at the 2019 World Cup, we look at individual performances in all the World Cups from 1975 to 2019.
Batting:
Most runs (500+):
While Kohli is second, he still has less than half the runs scored by Tendulkar. RG Sharma and Dhoni are next among current players.
Tendulkar and RG Sharma each have 6 centuries. Tendulkar also has the most 50+ scores (21), followed by Sharma with 9. Note Sharma’s conversion rate; he scored a century on 6 of the 9 occasions when he crossed 50. And Dhawan did the same on 3 of the 4 occasions!
Highest innings (95+):
This lists all the centuries and near-centuries. No one had scored an ODI century for India until Kapil did so in 1983. Note Gambhir’s 97 in the 2011 final. No one from either India or WI crossed 40 in the 1983 final.
Batting averages (Minimum 20 innings, all instances):
Some like RG Sharma, Gavaskar and Dhawan miss out as they did not play enough WC matches. Dhoni is in the middle of this table.
Strike rates (Minimum 500 balls faced, all instances):
The names at the top are predictable. And that Dhoni and Kohli (?) are in the middle, with Gavaskar and M Amarnath bringing up the rear.
Bowling:
Most wickets (10+):
The top position of 44 wickets is shared by Zaheer Khan and Srinath, with the former bowling significantly less overs. M Shami has the highest among current players.
No one has more than one fiver. M Shami is the only one with 4 four-fors, followed by Srinath and UT Yadav with 2 each.
Best innings bowling (including all instances of 4+ wickets):
The best figures here are by A Nehra (the only 6-for). The highest among current players is 4-16 by M Shami. His 4-40 including a hat-trick is further down.
Bowling averages (Minimum 1000 balls bowled, all instances):
Zaheer Khan has the best average and best strike-rate, while Kapil Dev has the best economy rate. None of the current bowlers have played enough.
Fielding:
Most dismissals (10+):
Dhoni has more than twice the dismissals of the next man Dravid, while regular keeper KS More has the same number of dismissals.
Dhoni has the most dismissals (42), stumpings (8), and catches by a keeper (34). Kohli and Kumble have the most catches by non-keepers (14).
Most dismissals in an innings (3+):
The most dismissals are by Kirmani and Mongia (5 apiece). M Kaif has the most (4) by a non-keeper. He held this World Cup record from 2003 to 2015, when others also took 4 catches in an innings.
Best dismissal rate (Minimum 20 innings, all instances):
Dhoni is the highest, followed by Dravid who kept in most of his WC matches. Kohli and Sehwag have the most among non-keepers.
All-round performance:
Overall (see criteria in table):
Kapil is the only one from India to reach this standard. Imran and Kallis also reached this, although Botham and Hadlee did not.
Match performance (30 runs and 3 wickets):
Yuvraj is here in his purple patch leading to the Man of the Series award in 2011. He and Shakib are the only ones with 50/5 in the World Cup. Next best is Kapil’s in 1983, although it ended in a defeat.
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