Test bowling performances of 2017

After covering Test batting in 2017 in the previous post, we move to bowling. This refers to all Tests which occurred in the calendar year.

Most wickets (25 and above):

Lyon is followed at some distance by Rabada, Ashwin, Anderson and Jadeja bunched together.

Rabada and Herath are the only ones with two tenners. Lyon, Herath and Yasir Shah have five fivers apiece.

Best innings bowling (including all instances of 6wi and above):

Lyon again, with the only 8-wicket haul. He is also among the four who had 7-wicket hauls.

Best match bowling (all instances of 9wm and above):

Lyon with 13 followed by O’Keefe with 12, both in Asia). Herath’s two 11-wicket hauls were also in Asia. Ali’s 10-for was accompanied by a fifty.

While disciplinary issues may keep O’Keefe out of the team for a while, he achieved an odd record by taking 6-35 in each innings for a match haul of 12-70. The previous record was by BS Chandrashekhar (6-52 twice, giving 12-104).

Best bowling averages (minimum 2000 balls bowled, bowling average below 30):

Anderson leads with Rabada some distance behind, followed by Jadeja and others.

It can be seen that the best economy rates (for 2000+ balls) are by Anderson (2.26) and Jadeja (2.44).

And the best strike rates (for 2000+ balls) are by Rabada (37.8), Maharaj (46.3) and Anderson (46.4).

 

Test bowling performances of 2016

This applies to all Tests during the calendar year 2016.

Most wickets taken (20 and above):

Ashwin is far ahead of the runner-up Herath. Ashwin also has the most fivers (8) followed by Herath (5). Ashwin yet again has the most tenners (3) followed by Herath and Yasir Shah with 2 apiece.

Best bowling (innings): All instances of 6 or more wickets.

Bishoo has the best innings figures for the year but his side lost that Test. Interestingly, RA Jadeja has the best innings figures for India.

Best bowling (match): All instances of 8 or more wickets

Ashwin’s and Herath’s names keep recurring here.

Bowling averages: (Minimum 1500 balls):

Herath tops this list followed by the less heralded Wagner and then Starc.

Jadeja has the  best economy rate of 2.27, followed by Anderson (2.46) and Herath (2.61)

The best strike rate is by Rabada (36.6) followed by Starc (39.0) and Herath (43.4)

Though Ashwin took the most wickets, he did not score very well on these parameters.

To be continued.