Also, most consecutive ODIs, 40-year-old Test players, five-fors in tandem, and most wins by an Asian
Steven Lynch04-Mar-2014It looks to me as if no one has ever been out lbw after scoring a triple-century in a Test. What’s the highest innings ended by an lbw decision?? asked Julian Harmer from London
You’re right: none of Test cricket’s 28 scores of 300 or more has been ended by an lbw decision. In fact you have to go down to the equal 59th-highest Test innings to find one – Zimbabwe’s Dave Houghton was lbw (to Chaminda Vaas) after scoring 266 against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo in October 1994. Wisden reported that “Vaas, again Sri Lanka’s best bowler, took the third new ball and immediately had him lbw with an inswinger”. Three other individual Test innings of over 250 ended with leg-before decisions: Glenn Turner’s 259 for New Zealand v West Indies in Georgetown in 1971-72, Ken Barrington’s 256 for England v Australia at Old Trafford in 1964, and Sanath Jayasuriya’s 253 for Sri Lanka v Pakistan in Faisalabad in 2004-05.Which was the only Test to feature 12 left-handed batsmen? asked David Cooper from Scotland
The only Test in which the selected teams included 12 left-handers was the second one between West Indies (who had seven) and England (five) at North Sound in Antigua in February 2009. It’s pushing it a bit to say that the match “featured” 12 left-handers, though – that was the bizarre game which was abandoned after just ten balls because the ground was unfit. Still, 100% of the batsmen who did feature were lefties – Andrew Strauss scored 6 and Alastair Cook 1 before the umpires called a halt! There have been seven further matches in which there was an even 11-11 split of left- and right-hand batsmen, all of them in the current century. The most recent one was the final Ashes Test in Sydney earlier this year, when Australia had three and England a record-equalling eight left-handers. And in that game they all got to the crease at some point.Virat Kohli played his 100th successive one-day international during the Asia Cup. Is this a record? asked Seena John from New Zealand
The Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka in Fatullah last week was Virat Kohli’s 100th successive one-day international for India without missing one, quite a feat in these days of almost constant cricket and the increasing tendency to give players an occasional rest. But 13 other players had put together longer unbroken runs before him – and it’s no great surprise to find that this is another list on which Sachin Tendulkar ends up on top. He played 185 successive ODIs for India between April 1990 and April 1998, before finally being given a rest. Next comes Andy Flower, who played 172 successive matches for Zimbabwe from his debut in February 1992 to April 2001. South Africa’s Hansie Cronje (162) also played more than 150 ODIs without a break. For the full list, click here.Sachin Tendulkar was nearly 41 during his last Test. Who was the last 40-year-old Test player before him? asked Prabhan Mistry from Mumbai
Sachin Tendulkar was 40 years 206 days old on the last day of his Test career. He was the 103rd 40-year-old to play in a Test match – a list that includes Gordon Greenidge, who turned 40 on his final day of Test cricket in 1991. The last 40-year-old before Tendulkar was Alec Stewart, whose last Test for England was in September 2003: he turned 40 in April that year. Before that Dave Houghton (Zimbabwe) played his final Test at 40 in September 1997, while John Emburey bowed out for England in July 1995, when he was 42. Earlier that year, Emburey’s great mate Graham Gooch played his final Test at 41. The last 45-year-old to play a Test was the Zimbabwe offspinner John Traicos, in March 1993, while you have to go back to the 1932-33 Bodyline tour for the last 50-year-old – the Australian slow left-armer Bert “Dainty” Ironmonger.How many instances have there been of two bowlers taking five-fors in the same innings? asked Kiran Kumar from India
This has happened no fewer than 52 times in Test matches, most recently when Shahadat Hossain took 5 for 71 and Shakib Al Hasan 5 for 62 for Bangladesh against India in Chittagong in January 2010. The first such instance was back in February 1887, when the Fiend and the Terror – the Australian bowlers John Ferris and Charlie Turner – both took five wickets against England at Sydney. For a complete list, click here. Because of the limitation on bowler’s overs, this is a much rarer feat in one-day internationals: in fact it’s only happened once, at Edgbaston in 1977, when Greg Chappell took 5 for 20 and Gary Cosier 5 for 18 for Australia against England.Sachin Tendulkar figured in 72 Test wins. Is that a record for an Asian player? And who holds the overall record? asked Steve Rafferty from the United States
Sachin Tendulkar did take part in 72 Test wins, the same as Mark Waugh. The only people ahead of him are Adam Gilchrist (73 wins), Mark Boucher (74), Jacques Kallis (82), Glenn McGrath (84), Steve Waugh (86), Shane Warne (92), and the overall leader Ricky Ponting (108). The next Asian players on the list are Rahul Dravid (56 wins) and Mahela Jayawardene (55 to date).
