Captains' double-tons, and a squad of beards
Also: two hundreds and losing the match, and highest bowling average per country
Steven Lynch
10-Oct-2016
Babar Azam is only the second batsman to score three hundreds in a three-match ODI series • Getty Images
I was surprised to see that Steve Smith holds a very unusual Test record - the highest bowling average in Australia. Who holds this record in other countries? asked Steve Austin from Australia
Steven Smith has so far taken one Test wicket in Australia (Ian Bell in Adelaide in 2013-14) for 327 runs. He's bowled in 15 different innings, and might yet improve his average of 327.00 - in which case this unwanted record would revert to John Warr, who took 1 for 281 for England in the 1950-51 Ashes series. Kumar Dharmasena (1 for 231), Mohammad Nazir junior (1 for 217), Murali Kartik (1 for 211), Mark Ramprakash (1 for 210) and the Australian offspinner Jason Krejza (1 for 204) also have averages in excess of 200 Down Under.
Steven Smith has so far taken one Test wicket in Australia (Ian Bell in Adelaide in 2013-14) for 327 runs. He's bowled in 15 different innings, and might yet improve his average of 327.00 - in which case this unwanted record would revert to John Warr, who took 1 for 281 for England in the 1950-51 Ashes series. Kumar Dharmasena (1 for 231), Mohammad Nazir junior (1 for 217), Murali Kartik (1 for 211), Mark Ramprakash (1 for 210) and the Australian offspinner Jason Krejza (1 for 204) also have averages in excess of 200 Down Under.
The worst average in England is, rather surprisingly, held by the Glamorgan fast bowler Jeff Jones, whose two home Tests in the mid-1960s brought him one wicket for 259 - he had much more success overseas, taking 43 wickets at 35.11 in 13 matches. Also above 200 in England are Mohammad Rafique of Bangladesh (1 for 257) and Sachin Tendulkar (1 for 242). The records for the other countries are as follows: Bangladesh - Khaled Mahmud (1 for 320). India - Sri Lanka's Asoka de Silva (1 for 338). New Zealand - Zimbabwe's Guy Whittall (1 for 213). Pakistan - Sri Lanka's Roger Wijesuriya (1 for 294). South Africa - England's Kenny Palmer (1 for 189). Sri Lanka - India's Nilesh Kulkarni (1 for 195, the wicket coming with his first delivery in a Test). West Indies - Pakistan's Naved-ul-Hasan (1 for 204). Zimbabwe - South Africa's Makhaya Ntini (1 for 187; he's now Zimbabwe's coach). United Arab Emirates - South Africa's Jacques Kallis (1 for 169).
How many batsmen have scored centuries in all three matches of an ODI series, as Babar Azam has just done? asked Savo Ceprnich from South Africa
Babar Azam, who hit 120, 123 and 117 for Pakistan in their recent series against West Indies in the UAE, was only the second batsman to score three centuries in a three-match one-day series. The first was South Africa's Quinton de Kock, with 135, 106 and 101 at home to India in December 2013. Azam's 360 runs overtook de Kock's 342 as the most in any three-match bilateral series of one-day internationals. Azam was the eighth batsman to score three centuries in successive ODI innings, the third for Pakistan after Zaheer Abbas (1982-83) and Saeed Anwar (1993-94). Kumar Sangakkara uniquely hit four in a row during the 2015 World Cup.
Babar Azam, who hit 120, 123 and 117 for Pakistan in their recent series against West Indies in the UAE, was only the second batsman to score three centuries in a three-match one-day series. The first was South Africa's Quinton de Kock, with 135, 106 and 101 at home to India in December 2013. Azam's 360 runs overtook de Kock's 342 as the most in any three-match bilateral series of one-day internationals. Azam was the eighth batsman to score three centuries in successive ODI innings, the third for Pakistan after Zaheer Abbas (1982-83) and Saeed Anwar (1993-94). Kumar Sangakkara uniquely hit four in a row during the 2015 World Cup.
Virat Kohli has now scored two double-centuries as a Test captain. Who holds the record - is it Don Bradman? asked Hemant Kher from the United States
Don Bradman hit four Test double-centuries, a record at the time, since equalled by Michael Clarke and Graeme Smith. But one man has surpassed them: Brian Lara scored five doubles while in charge. He had rather more opportunities than the Don - Lara captained West Indies on 47 occasions, while Bradman led Australia just 25 times. Smith, who captained in 109 Tests, made the most individual centuries (25) while captain; Ricky Ponting made 19, Allan Border and Steve Waugh 15. Bradman is one of five men who made 14 Test hundreds while captain, along with Clarke, Lara, Mahela Jayawardene and Clive Lloyd.
Don Bradman hit four Test double-centuries, a record at the time, since equalled by Michael Clarke and Graeme Smith. But one man has surpassed them: Brian Lara scored five doubles while in charge. He had rather more opportunities than the Don - Lara captained West Indies on 47 occasions, while Bradman led Australia just 25 times. Smith, who captained in 109 Tests, made the most individual centuries (25) while captain; Ricky Ponting made 19, Allan Border and Steve Waugh 15. Bradman is one of five men who made 14 Test hundreds while captain, along with Clarke, Lara, Mahela Jayawardene and Clive Lloyd.
Apart from Kohli, four other men have made two double-centuries while captain: Border, Ponting, Hashim Amla and Javed Miandad. Jayawardene, Greg Chappell, Stephen Fleming, Brendon McCullum and Bob Simpson all made three.
Who's the youngest bowler to get 100, 200, 300 and 400 wickets in Tests and ODIs? asked Faizan Ali from Pakistan
The youngest bowler to the milestone of 100 Test wickets is Kapil Dev, who was 25 days past his 21st birthday when he got there in January 1980. Kapil was also the youngest to 200 (24 in March 1983) and 300 (the day after his 28th birthday in January 1987), but only seventh-youngest to 400 (aged 33 in 1991-92). Muttiah Muralitharan was youngest to the 400 mark, aged 29 in January 2002. He's also the youngest to 500 (31 in 2003-04), 600 (33 in 2005-06), 700 (35 in 2007) and - unsurprisingly since he's the only one to have got there - 800 as well (38 in 2010).
The youngest bowler to the milestone of 100 Test wickets is Kapil Dev, who was 25 days past his 21st birthday when he got there in January 1980. Kapil was also the youngest to 200 (24 in March 1983) and 300 (the day after his 28th birthday in January 1987), but only seventh-youngest to 400 (aged 33 in 1991-92). Muttiah Muralitharan was youngest to the 400 mark, aged 29 in January 2002. He's also the youngest to 500 (31 in 2003-04), 600 (33 in 2005-06), 700 (35 in 2007) and - unsurprisingly since he's the only one to have got there - 800 as well (38 in 2010).
The youngest bowler to reach 100 wickets in one-day internationals was Saqlain Mushtaq, aged 20 in May 1997. He was also the youngest to 200, at 22 in June 1999. Saqlain didn't quite make it to 300 (he finished with 288), so the youngest to that landmark was Chaminda Vaas, aged 30 in 2003-04. Waqar Younis reached 400 ODI wickets less than a month after his 33rd birthday, in December 2002, while Wasim Akram was 36 - and 15 days younger than Muralitharan - when he made it to 500 in February 2003.
Two Australians scored centuries in the recent ODI against South Africa, but they ended up losing. How often has this happened? asked Shripad Garge from India
I was rather surprised to discover that the recent instance - David Warner and Steve Smith both scored hundreds in Durban last week but still lost - was actually the 25th time this had happened in one-day internationals. The first such instance was in Lahore on New Year's Eve 1982, when India prevailed in a rain-reduced match despite Zaheer Abbas and Javed Miandad both scoring centuries for Pakistan. There were only five further instances before 2000. For the full list, click here.
I was rather surprised to discover that the recent instance - David Warner and Steve Smith both scored hundreds in Durban last week but still lost - was actually the 25th time this had happened in one-day internationals. The first such instance was in Lahore on New Year's Eve 1982, when India prevailed in a rain-reduced match despite Zaheer Abbas and Javed Miandad both scoring centuries for Pakistan. There were only five further instances before 2000. For the full list, click here.
Ten of the current Indian team are sporting beards. Is this a record? asked Mahesh Khoda from India
That's a difficult one, as for some reason Statsguru doesn't have a "facial hair" filter! I can't instantly think of a Test team with more beards, although there has been the occasional tour on which the players, as a sort of bonding exercise, seemed to put their razors away. The early (19th century) Australian teams featured a number of players with moustaches or full beards, but there are a few clean-shaven faces among them - Joey Palmer and Victor Trumper seem to have been resolutely fuzz-free at all times - while the same is true of some of their teams in the 1970s and '80s. However, photographs suggest that every member of the England touring team in Australia in 1897-98 did have a moustache.
That's a difficult one, as for some reason Statsguru doesn't have a "facial hair" filter! I can't instantly think of a Test team with more beards, although there has been the occasional tour on which the players, as a sort of bonding exercise, seemed to put their razors away. The early (19th century) Australian teams featured a number of players with moustaches or full beards, but there are a few clean-shaven faces among them - Joey Palmer and Victor Trumper seem to have been resolutely fuzz-free at all times - while the same is true of some of their teams in the 1970s and '80s. However, photographs suggest that every member of the England touring team in Australia in 1897-98 did have a moustache.
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Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes