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Pakistan batsmen scoring nineties in a test innings

03/01/2021 hrg

Azhar Ali of Pakistan scored 93 in the ongoing second test at Christchurch against New Zealand to provide the 94^th occasion of a Pakistan batsman scoring a ninety in a test innings. All such occasions are tabulated below.

No	Player	Runs	I	Opp	Ground	Start Date
1	Hanif Mohammad	96	3	Ind	Mum-BS	13 Nov 1952
2	Waqar Hasan	97	3	Ind	Kolkata	12 Dec 1952
3	Maqsood Ahmed	99	1	Ind	Lahore	29 Jan 1955
4	AH Kardar	93	3	Ind	Karachi	26 Feb 1955
5	Imtiaz Ahmed	91	3	Win	Bridgetown	17 Jan 1958
6	Wazir Mohammad	97*	3	Win	Georgetown	13 Mar 1958
7	Saeed Ahmed	97	2	Win	Trinidad	26 Mar 1958
8	Saeed Ahmed	91	1	Aus	Karachi	04 Dec 1959
9	Imtiaz Ahmed	98	3	Eng	The Oval	16 Aug 1962
10	Abdul Kadir	95	1	Aus	Karachi	24 Oct 1964
11	Hanif Mohammad	93	3	Aus	Melbourne	04 Dec 1964
12	Shafqat Rana	95	3	NZl	Lahore	30 Oct 1969
13	Asif Iqbal	92	2	NZl	Dhaka	08 Nov 1969
14	Sadiq Mohammad	91	4	Eng	Leeds	08 Jul 1971
15	Majid Khan	99	1	Eng	Karachi	24 Mar 1973
16	Mushtaq Mohammad	99	1	Eng	Karachi	24 Mar 1973
17	Majid Khan	98	1	Eng	The Oval	22 Aug 1974
18	Sadiq Mohammad	98*	3	Win	Karachi	01 Mar 1975
19	Majid Khan	98	1	NZl	Hyd-Pak	23 Oct 1976
20	Zaheer Abbas	90	2	Aus	Melbourne	01 Jan 1977
21	Majid Khan	92	1	Win	Trinidad	01 Apr 1977
22	Sadiq Mohammad	97	1	Eng	Leeds	29 Jun 1978
23	Zaheer Abbas	96	3	Ind	Faisalabad	16 Oct 1978
24	Wasim Raja	97	1	Ind	Delhi	04 Dec 1979
25	Wasim Raja	94*	2	Ind	Kanpur	25 Dec 1979
26	Taslim Arif	90	2	Ind	Kolkata	29 Jan 1980
27	Mudassar Nazar	95	1	Aus	Melbourne	11 Dec 1981
28	Zaheer Abbas	90	1	Aus	Melbourne	11 Dec 1981
29	Javed Miandad	92	3	Srl	Karachi	05 Mar 1982
30	Zaheer Abbas	91	2	Aus	Karachi	22 Sep 1982
31	Mohsin Khan	94	1	Ind	Lahore	10 Dec 1982
32	Mohsin Khan	91	2	Ind	Karachi	30 Jan 1983
33	Javed Miandad	99	2	Ind	Bengaluru	14 Sep 1983
34	Sarfraz Nawaz	90	2	Eng	Lahore	19 Mar 1984
35	Qasim Umar	96	1	NZl	Dunedin	09 Feb 1985
36	Javed Miandad	94	1	Ind	Chennai	03 Feb 1987
37	Saleem Malik	99	2	Eng	Leeds	02 Jul 1987
38	Saleem Yousuf	91*	1	Eng	Birmingham	23 Jul 1987
39	Aamer Malik	98*	2	Eng	Karachi	16 Dec 1987
40	Shoaib Mohammad	94	1	Aus	Karachi	15 Sep 1988
41	Shoaib Mohammad	95	3	Ind	Karachi	15 Nov 1989
42	Ramiz Raja	98	2	Srl	Sialkot	12 Dec 1991
43	Imran Khan	93*	2	Srl	Sialkot	12 Dec 1991
44	Javed Miandad	92	1	NZl	Hamilton	02 Jan 1993
45	Basit Ali	92*	2	Win	Bridgetown	23 Apr 1993
46	Saeed Anwar	94	1	Srl	Col-PSS	09 Aug 1994
47	Saleem Malik	99	2	SAF	Jo’burg	19 Jan 1995
48	Inzamam-ul-Haq	95	4	SAF	Jo’burg	19 Jan 1995
49	Inzamam-ul-Haq	95	1	Srl	Peshawar	08 Sep 1995
50	Aamer Sohail	99	3	Aus	Brisbane	09 Nov 1995
51	Moin Khan	98	2	Srl	Col-SSC	26 Apr 1997
52	Inzamam-ul-Haq	96	2	SAF	Faisalabad	24 Oct 1997
53	Inzamam-ul-Haq	92*	2	Win	Peshawar	17 Nov 1997
54	Moin Khan	97	4	Zim	Bulawayo	14 Mar 1998
55	Inzamam-ul-Haq	97	2	Aus	Peshawar	15 Oct 1998
56	Mohammad Yousuf	95	1	Aus	Brisbane	05 Nov 1999
57	Mohammad Wasim	91	1	Aus	Hobart	18 Nov 1999
58	Younis Khan	91	1	NZl	Auckland	08 Mar 2001
59	Rashid Latif	94	2	Ban	Dhaka	09 Jan 2002
60	Inzamam-ul-Haq	99	3	Srl	Lahore	06 Mar 2002
61	Asim Kamal	99	2	SAF	Lahore	17 Oct 2003
62	Yasir Hameed	91	2	Ind	Multan	28 Mar 2004
63	Asim Kamal	91	1	Ind	Mohali	08 Mar 2005
64	Shahid Afridi	92	1	Eng	Faisalabad	20 Nov 2005
65	Inzamam-ul-Haq	97	2	Eng	Lahore	29 Nov 2005
66	Mohammad Yousuf	97	3	Ind	Karachi	29 Jan 2006
67	Abdul Razzaq	90	3	Ind	Karachi	29 Jan 2006
68	Mohammad Hafeez	95	2	Eng	The Oval	17 Aug 2006
69	Imran Farhat	91	2	Eng	The Oval	17 Aug 2006
70	Inzamam-ul-Haq	92*	2	SAF	P Elizabeth	19 Jan 2007
71	Khurram Manzoor	93	1	Srl	Col-SSC	20 Jul 2009
72	Mohammad Yousuf	90	1	Srl	Col-SSC	20 Jul 2009
73	Salman Butt	92	4	Aus	Lord’s	13 Jul 2010
74	Azhar Ali	92*	2	Eng	The Oval	18 Aug 2010
75	Azhar Ali	90	2	SAF	Abu Dhabi	20 Nov 2010
76	Misbah-ul-Haq	99	2	NZl	Wellington	15 Jan 2011
77	Misbah-ul-Haq	97	3	Srl	Dub-DSC	08 Jan 2014
78	Mohammad Hafeez	96	1	NZl	Abu Dhabi	09 Nov 2014
79	Sarfaraz Ahmed	96	2	Srl	Galle	17 Jun 2015
08	Mohammad Hafeez	98	1	Eng	Abu Dhabi	13 Oct 2015
81	Sami Aslam	90	1	Win	Dub-DSC	13 Oct 2016
82	Misbah-ul-Haq	96	1	Win	Abu Dhabi	21 Oct 2016
83	Azhar Ali	91	3	Win	Sharjah	30 Oct 2016
84	Babar Azam	90*	2	NZl	Hamilton	25 Nov 2016
85	Sami Aslam	91	4	NZl	Hamilton	25 Nov 2016
86	Misbah-ul-Haq	99*	2	Win	Kingston	21 Apr 2017
87	Misbah-ul-Haq	99	2	Win	Bridgetown	30 Apr 2017
88	Fakhar Zaman	94	1	Aus	Abu Dhabi	16 Oct 2018
89	Sarfaraz Ahmed	94	1	Aus	Abu Dhabi	16 Oct 2018
90	Babar Azam	99	3	Aus	Abu Dhabi	16 Oct 2018
91	Mohammad Rizwan	95	3	Aus	Brisbane	21 Nov 2019
92	Babar Azam	97	2	Aus	Adelaide	29 Nov 2019
93	Faheem Ashraf	91	2	NZl	M Maunganui	26 Dec 2020
94	Azhar Ali	93	1	NZl	Christchurch	03 Jan 2021

It also provides the 12^th occasion of a Pakistan batsman scoring a ninety in a test innings against New Zealand. All such occasions are tabulated below.

No	Player	Runs	I	Opp	Ground	Start Date
1	Shafqat Rana	95	3	NZl	Lahore	30 Oct 1969
2	Asif Iqbal	92	2	NZl	Dhaka	08 Nov 1969
3	Majid Khan	98	1	NZl	Hyd-Pak	23 Oct 1976
4	Qasim Umar	96	1	NZl	Dunedin	09 Feb 1985
5	Javed Miandad	92	1	NZl	Hamilton	02 Jan 1993
6	Younis Khan	91	1	NZl	Auckland	08 Mar 2001
7	Misbah-ul-Haq	99	2	NZl	Wellington	15 Jan 2011
8	Mohammad Hafeez	96	1	NZl	Abu Dhabi	09 Nov 2014
9	Babar Azam	90*	2	NZl	Hamilton	25 Nov 2016
10	Sami Aslam	91	4	NZl	Hamilton	25 Nov 2016
11	Faheem Ashraf	91	2	NZl	M Maunganui	26 Dec 2020
12	Azhar Ali	93	1	NZl	Christchurch	03 Jan 2021

Azhar Ali’s 93 in this test provide his fourth ninety in a test innings. He became the sixrh Paistan batsman to score ninety on four or more occasions. Others are – Inzamam-ul-Huq {08}, Misbah-ul-Huq {05}, Javed Miandad {04}, Majid Khan {04} and Zaheer Abbas {04}. The following table lists the performance of these six batsmen.

No	No	Player	Runs	I	Opp	Ground	Start Date
1	1	Inzamam-ul-Haq	95	4	SAF	Jo’burg	19 Jan 1995
	2	Inzamam-ul-Haq	95	1	Srl	Peshawar	08 Sep 1995
	3	Inzamam-ul-Haq	96	2	SAF	Faisalabad	24 Oct 1997
	4	Inzamam-ul-Haq	92*	2	Win	Peshawar	17 Nov 1997
	5	Inzamam-ul-Haq	97	2	Aus	Peshawar	15 Oct 1998
	6	Inzamam-ul-Haq	99	3	Srl	Lahore	06 Mar 2002
	7	Inzamam-ul-Haq	97	2	Eng	Lahore	29 Nov 2005
	8	Inzamam-ul-Haq	92*	2	SAF	P Elizabeth	19 Jan 2007

2	1	Misbah-ul-Haq	99	2	NZl	Wellington	15 Jan 2011
	2	Misbah-ul-Haq	97	3	Srl	Dub-DSC	08 Jan 2014
	3	Misbah-ul-Haq	96	1	Win	Abu Dhabi	21 Oct 2016
	4	Misbah-ul-Haq	99*	2	Win	Kingston	21 Apr 2017
	5	Misbah-ul-Haq	99	2	Win	Bridgetown	30 Apr 2017

3	1	Azhar Ali	92*	2	Eng	The Oval	18 Aug 2010
	2	Azhar Ali	90	2	SAF	Abu Dhabi	20 Nov 2010
	3	Azhar Ali	91	3	Win	Sharjah	30 Oct 2016
	4	Azhar Ali	93	1	NZl	Christchurch	03 Jan 2021

4	1	Javed Miandad	92	3	Srl	Karachi	05 Mar 1982
	2	Javed Miandad	99	2	Ind	Bengaluru	14 Sep 1983
	3	Javed Miandad	94	1	Ind	Chennai	03 Feb 1987
	4	Javed Miandad	92	1	NZl	Hamilton	02 Jan 1993

5	1	Majid Khan	99	1	Eng	Karachi	24 Mar 1973
	2	Majid Khan	98	1	Eng	The Oval	22 Aug 1974
	3	Majid Khan	98	1	NZl	Hyd-Pak	23 Oct 1976
	4	Majid Khan	92	1	Win	Trinidad	01 Apr 1977

6	1	Zaheer Abbas	90	2	Aus	Melbourne	01 Jan 1977
	2	Zaheer Abbas	96	3	Ind	Faisalabad	16 Oct 1978
	3	Zaheer Abbas	90	1	Aus	Melbourne	11 Dec 1981
	4	Zaheer Abbas	91	2	Aus	Karachi	22 Sep 1982

Azhar Ali of Pakistan scored 93 in the ongoing second test at Christchurch against New Zealand to provide the 82nd occasion of a Pakistan batsman dismissed for a ninety in a test innings. All such occasions are tabulated below.

No	Player	Runs	I	Opp	Ground	Start Date
1	Hanif Mohammad	96	3	Ind	Mum-BS	13 Nov 1952
2	Waqar Hasan	97	3	Ind	Kolkata	12 Dec 1952
3	Maqsood Ahmed	99	1	Ind	Lahore	29 Jan 1955
4	AH Kardar	93	3	Ind	Karachi	26 Feb 1955
5	Imtiaz Ahmed	91	3	Win	Bridgetown	17 Jan 1958
6	Saeed Ahmed	97	2	Win	Trinidad	26 Mar 1958
7	Saeed Ahmed	91	1	Aus	Karachi	04 Dec 1959
8	Imtiaz Ahmed	98	3	Eng	The Oval	16 Aug 1962
9	Abdul Kadir	95	1	Aus	Karachi	24 Oct 1964
10	Hanif Mohammad	93	3	Aus	Melbourne	04 Dec 1964
11	Shafqat Rana	95	3	NZl	Lahore	30 Oct 1969
12	Asif Iqbal	92	2	NZl	Dhaka	08 Nov 1969
13	Sadiq Mohammad	91	4	Eng	Leeds	08 Jul 1971
14	Majid Khan	99	1	Eng	Karachi	24 Mar 1973
15	Mushtaq Mohammad	99	1	Eng	Karachi	24 Mar 1973
16	Majid Khan	98	1	Eng	The Oval	22 Aug 1974
17	Majid Khan	98	1	NZl	Hyd-Pak	23 Oct 1976
18	Zaheer Abbas	90	2	Aus	Melbourne	01 Jan 1977
19	Majid Khan	92	1	Win	Trinidad	01 Apr 1977
20	Sadiq Mohammad	97	1	Eng	Leeds	29 Jun 1978
21	Zaheer Abbas	96	3	Ind	Faisalabad	16 Oct 1978
22	Wasim Raja	97	1	Ind	Delhi	04 Dec 1979
23	Taslim Arif	90	2	Ind	Kolkata	29 Jan 1980
24	Mudassar Nazar	95	1	Aus	Melbourne	11 Dec 1981
25	Zaheer Abbas	90	1	Aus	Melbourne	11 Dec 1981
26	Javed Miandad	92	3	Srl	Karachi	05 Mar 1982
27	Zaheer Abbas	91	2	Aus	Karachi	22 Sep 1982
28	Mohsin Khan	94	1	Ind	Lahore	10 Dec 1982
29	Mohsin Khan	91	2	Ind	Karachi	30 Jan 1983
30	Javed Miandad	99	2	Ind	Bengaluru	14 Sep 1983
31	Sarfraz Nawaz	90	2	Eng	Lahore	19 Mar 1984
32	Qasim Umar	96	1	NZl	Dunedin	09 Feb 1985
33	Javed Miandad	94	1	Ind	Chennai	03 Feb 1987
34	Saleem Malik	99	2	Eng	Leeds	02 Jul 1987
35	Shoaib Mohammad	94	1	Aus	Karachi	15 Sep 1988
36	Shoaib Mohammad	95	3	Ind	Karachi	15 Nov 1989
37	Ramiz Raja	98	2	Srl	Sialkot	12 Dec 1991
38	Javed Miandad	92	1	NZl	Hamilton	02 Jan 1993
39	Saeed Anwar	94	1	Srl	Col-PSS	09 Aug 1994
40	Saleem Malik	99	2	SAF	Jo’burg	19 Jan 1995
41	Inzamam-ul-Haq	95	4	SAF	Jo’burg	19 Jan 1995
42	Inzamam-ul-Haq	95	1	Srl	Peshawar	08 Sep 1995
43	Aamer Sohail	99	3	Aus	Brisbane	09 Nov 1995
44	Moin Khan	98	2	Srl	Col-SSC	26 Apr 1997
45	Inzamam-ul-Haq	96	2	SAF	Faisalabad	24 Oct 1997
46	Moin Khan	97	4	Zim	Bulawayo	14 Mar 1998
47	Inzamam-ul-Haq	97	2	Aus	Peshawar	15 Oct 1998
48	Mohammad Yousuf	95	1	Aus	Brisbane	05 Nov 1999
49	Mohammad Wasim	91	1	Aus	Hobart	18 Nov 1999
50	Younis Khan	91	1	NZl	Auckland	08 Mar 2001
51	Rashid Latif	94	2	Ban	Dhaka	09 Jan 2002
52	Inzamam-ul-Haq	99	3	Srl	Lahore	06 Mar 2002
53	Asim Kamal	99	2	SAF	Lahore	17 Oct 2003
54	Yasir Hameed	91	2	Ind	Multan	28 Mar 2004
55	Asim Kamal	91	1	Ind	Mohali	08 Mar 2005
56	Shahid Afridi	92	1	Eng	Faisalabad	20 Nov 2005
57	Inzamam-ul-Haq	97	2	Eng	Lahore	29 Nov 2005
58	Mohammad Yousuf	97	3	Ind	Karachi	29 Jan 2006
59	Abdul Razzaq	90	3	Ind	Karachi	29 Jan 2006
60	Mohammad Hafeez	95	2	Eng	The Oval	17 Aug 2006
61	Imran Farhat	91	2	Eng	The Oval	17 Aug 2006
62	Khurram Manzoor	93	1	Srl	Col-SSC	20 Jul 2009
63	Mohammad Yousuf	90	1	Srl	Col-SSC	20 Jul 2009
64	Salman Butt	92	4	Aus	Lord’s	13 Jul 2010
65	Azhar Ali	90	2	SAF	Abu Dhabi	20 Nov 2010
66	Misbah-ul-Haq	99	2	NZl	Wellington	15 Jan 2011
67	Misbah-ul-Haq	97	3	Srl	Dub-DSC	08 Jan 2014
68	Mohammad Hafeez	96	1	NZl	Abu Dhabi	09 Nov 2014
69	Sarfaraz Ahmed	96	2	Srl	Galle	17 Jun 2015
70	Sami Aslam	90	1	Win	Dub-DSC	13 Oct 2016
71	Misbah-ul-Haq	96	1	Win	Abu Dhabi	21 Oct 2016
72	Azhar Ali	91	3	Win	Sharjah	30 Oct 2016
73	Babar Azam	90*	2	NZl	Hamilton	25 Nov 2016
74	Sami Aslam	91	4	NZl	Hamilton	25 Nov 2016
75	Misbah-ul-Haq	99	2	Win	Bridgetown	30 Apr 2017
76	Fakhar Zaman	94	1	Aus	Abu Dhabi	16 Oct 2018
77	Sarfaraz Ahmed	94	1	Aus	Abu Dhabi	16 Oct 2018
78	Babar Azam	99	3	Aus	Abu Dhabi	16 Oct 2018
79	Mohammad Rizwan	95	3	Aus	Brisbane	21 Nov 2019
08	Babar Azam	97	2	Aus	Adelaide	29 Nov 2019
81	Faheem Ashraf	91	2	NZl	M Maunganui	26 Dec 2020
82	Azhar Ali	93	1	NZl	Christchurch	03 Jan 2021

Azhar Ali of Pakistan scored 93 in the ongoing second test at Christchurch against New Zealand to provide the 13^th occasion of a Pakistan batsman scoring a ninety in a test innings batting at number three. All such occasions are tabulated below.

No	Player	Runs	I	Opp	Ground	Start Date
1	Waqar Hasan	97	3	Ind	Kolkata	12 Dec 1952
2	Saeed Ahmed	97	2	Win	Trinidad	26 Mar 1958
3	Saeed Ahmed	91	1	Aus	Karachi	04 Dec 1959
4	Majid Khan	99	1	Eng	Karachi	24 Mar 1973
5	Zaheer Abbas	90	2	Aus	Melbourne	01 Jan 1977
6	Zaheer Abbas	96	3	Ind	Faisalabad	16 Oct 1978
7	Qasim Umar	96	1	NZl	Dunedin	09 Feb 1985
8	Shoaib Mohammad	94	1	Aus	Karachi	15 Sep 1988
9	Shoaib Mohammad	95	3	Ind	Karachi	15 Nov 1989
10	Yasir Hameed	91	2	Ind	Multan	28 Mar 2004
11	Azhar Ali	90	2	SAF	Abu Dhabi	20 Nov 2010
12	Babar Azam	90*	2	NZl	Hamilton	25 Nov 2016
13	Azhar Ali	93	1	NZl	Christchurch	03 Jan 2021

Explained – How New Zealand’s thrilling Test win over Pakistan impacts India

31/12/2020 hrg

The WTC league standings are being determined by the percentage of points earned instead of absolute points, with top two teams qualifying for the final. The current WTC cycle ends on March 31, 2021 followed by the final in June. Written by Shamik Chakrabarty , in Explained – Indian Express online portal

New Zealand’s win in the first Test against Pakistan have made them serious contenders to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, to be played in June 2021 at Lord’s. With a percentage point (PCT) of 0.667, the Kiwis are now snapping at the heels of Australia and India.

What is New Zealand’s current standing in the WTC table?

New Zealand are now placed third with 360 absolute points and 0.667 percentage points (66.7%).

Absolute points are the total points earned from a Test series. Each series is allotted 120 points. So for a two-Test series, which is the minimum requirement, points earned per Test for a win is 60. New Zealand and Pakistan are playing a two-Test series.

What is PCT then?

PCT is the percentage of points won out of total number of points contested. For example, India are playing a four-Test series in Australia and the two teams are contesting for 120 points. For a four-Test series, points allotted per Test are 30, 15 and 10 for a win, tie and draw respectively. The series is tied at 1-1 at the moment which means that both Australia and India have secured 25 per cent each of the total points on offer.

Why is PCT so important?

Last month, the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Cricket Committee headed by Anil Kumble decided to make the Covid-forced cancelled matches null and void and determine the WTC league standings only from the matches played. Under the changed system, the WTC league standings are being determined by the percentage of points earned instead of absolute points, with top two teams qualifying for the final. The current WTC cycle ends on March 31, 2021 followed by the final in June.

How are India placed at the moment?

India still have the highest absolute points, 390, followed by New Zealand, 360, and Australia, 322. And yet, India are placed second because their PCT, 0.722 (72.2%), is lower than that of Australia’s, 0.766 (76.6%).

Simply put, India will play six more Tests in this WTC cycle — two in Australia and four at home against England. Four wins, or three wins and three draws will secure their qualification for the final.

Why is that?

Because, if New Zealand win the second Test against Pakistan and finish the series with 120 points, they will finish their WTC assignments with 420 absolute points from five series played, or a total of 600 points contested. Their series in Bangladesh was cancelled due to the pandemic. So a clean sweep against Pakistan will take New Zealand’s PCT to 0.700 (70%).

As for India, they didn’t have any series cancelled. They will have six series under their belt and 720 points contested. India need to take their absolute points to 504 to have a PCT of 0.700 (70%). As they can have just 30 points from each win (four-Test series), four more victories will take them 510 absolute points, and beyond New Zealand’s PCT.

What about Australia?

They can afford a 2-2 draw, for example, in the ongoing series to retain their PCT-based lead. Their PCT in that case will be 0.741. But if they lose the series to India, they will drop down the order. The Aussies, however, are scheduled to play a three-Test series in South Africa and they will finish the cycle with five series.

Does the PCT-based system offer confusion?

If Virat Kohli finds the changed qualification structure “confusing”, then fans probably are struggling even more. Kohli was asked about the changed structure ahead of India’s first ODI against Australia. He wasn’t impressed at all.

“It is definitely surprising because we were told that points are a matter of contention for the top two teams qualifying in World Test championships and now suddenly it has become percentage out of nowhere, so it is confusing and difficult to understand why,” he had said.

Captain and wicket keeper batsman’s twin fifties in a test in losing cause

30/12/2020 hrg

Mohd Rizwan of Pakistan scored 71 and 60 against New Zealand in the just concluded test at Mount Maunganui which was in a losing cause to provide the 50^th occasion of a captain’s twin fifties going in vain the annals of test cricket. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	FI	SI	Team	Opp	Ground	Start Date
1	G Giffen	57	51	Aus	Eng	Melbourne	Mar 1895
2	MA Noble	61	64	Aus	Eng	Melbourne	Jan 08
3	JWHT Douglas	50	60	Eng	Aus	Melbourne	Feb 21
4	HW Taylor	59*	56	SAF	Eng	Leeds	Jul 24
5	J Ryder	63	87	Aus	Eng	Adelaide	Feb 29
6	GC Grant	53*	71*	Win	Aus	Adelaide	Dec 30
7	AD Nourse	65	114	SAF	Aus	Cape Town	Dec 49
8	VS Hazare	89	56	Ind	Eng	Leeds	Jun 52
9	GO Rabone	107	68	NZl	SAF	Durban	Dec 53
10	L Hutton	72	77	Eng	Win	Bridgetown	Feb 54
11	PBH May	63	53	Eng	Aus	Lord’s	Jun 56
12	ER Dexter	57	62	Eng	Ind	Kolkata	Dec 61
13	JR Reid	60	142	NZl	SAF	Johannesburg	Feb 62
14	JR Reid	74	100	NZl	Eng	Christchurch	Mar 63
15	JR Reid	128	76	NZl	Pak	Karachi	Apr 65
16	MAK Pataudi	64	148	Ind	Eng	Leeds	Jun 67
17	MAK Pataudi	75	85	Ind	Aus	Melbourne	Dec 67
18	IM Chappell	65	50	Aus	Eng	Melbourne	Feb 75
19	AW Greig	116	76*	Eng	Win	Leeds	Jul 76
20	DI Gower	57	106	Eng	Aus	Lord’s	Jun 89
21	KC Wessels	59	74	SAF	Win	Bridgetown	Apr 92
22	GA Gooch	65	133	Eng	Aus	Manchester	Jun 93
23	WJ Cronje	126	67	SAF	Eng	Nottingham	Jul 98
24	BC Lara	51	79	Win	SAF	Durban	Dec 98
25	A Flower	74	129	Zim	Srl	Harare	Nov 99
26	BC Lara	67	75	Win	NZl	Wellington	Dec 99
27	SR Tendulkar	116	52	Ind	Aus	Melbourne	Dec 99
28	SP Fleming	57	99	NZl	SAF	Bloemfontein	Nov 00
29	CL Hooper	53	54*	Win	SAF	Port of Spain	Mar 01
30	BC Lara	91	122	Win	Aus	Port of Spain	Apr 03
31	T Taibu	71*	52	Zim	Ind	Bulawayo	Sep 05
32	MS Atapattu	88	67	Srl	Ind	Delhi	Dec 05
33	Habibul Bashar	69	73	Ban	Srl	Bogra	Mar 06
34	A Flintoff	70	51	Eng	Ind	Mohali	Mar 06
35	BC Lara	61	122	Win	Pak	Lahore	Nov 06
36	RT Ponting	101	99	Aus	SAF	Melbourne	Dec 08
37	Shakib Al Hasan	87	100	Ban	NZl	Hamilton	Feb 10
38	RT Ponting	77	72	Aus	Ind	Bengaluru	Oct 10
39	MS Dhoni	77	74*	Ind	Eng	Birmingham	Aug 11
40	BRM Taylor	50	117	Zim	NZl	Bulawayo	Nov 11
41	M Jayawardene	105	64	Srl	Eng	Col-PSS	Apr 12
42	M Jayawardene	72	60	Srl	Aus	Sydney	Jan 13
43	V Kohli	115	141	Ind	Aus	Adelaide	Dec 14
44	AD Mathews	50	66	Srl	NZl	Christchurch	Dec 14
45	AN Cook	75	56	Eng	NZl	Leeds	May 15
46	JE Root	59	72	Eng	Win	Leeds	Aug 17
47	LD Chandimal	57	61	Srl	Ind	Nagpur	Nov 17
48	JE Root	83	58*	Eng	Aus	Sydney	Jan 18
49	V Kohli	149	51	Ind	Eng	Birmingham	Aug 18
50	Mohd Rizwan	71	60	Pak	NZl	Mt Maunganui	Dec 20

Mohd Rizwan of Pakistan scored 71 and 60 against New Zealand in the just concluded test at Mount Maunganui which was in a losing cause to provide the 23rd occasion of a wicket keeper batsman’s twin fifties in a test going in vain in the annals of test cricket. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	FI	SI	Team	Opp	Ground	Mon/Yr
1	JHB Waite	58	56*	SAF	Eng	Birmingham	Jun 60
2	APE Knott	92	63	Eng	Aus	The Oval	Aug 72
3	DL Murray	66	55	Win	Aus	Brisbane	Nov 75
4	APE Knott	50	57	Eng	Win	The Oval	Aug 76
5	A Flower	115	62*	Zim	Ind	Delhi	Mar 93
6	IA Healy	74	51*	Aus	Eng	Adelaide	Jan 95
h7	A Flower	65	83	Zim	NZl	Auckland	Feb 98
8	A Flower	74	129	Zim	Srl	Harare	Nov 99
9	A Flower	183*	70	Zim	Ind	Delhi	Nov 00
10	A Flower	51	83	Zim	Ind	Bulawayo	Jun 01
11	A Flower	142	199*	Zim	SAF	Harare	Sep 01
12	T Taibu	71*	52	Zim	Ind	Bulawayo	Sep 05
13	Mushfiqur Rahim	79	95	Ban	Eng	Chattogram	Mar 10
14	MS Dhoni	77	74*	Ind	Eng	Birmingham	Aug 11
15	BJ Watling	63	63	NZl	SAF	Port Elizabeth	Jan 13
16	Sarfaraz Ahmed	55	52*	Pak	Srl	Galle	Aug 14
17	Sarfaraz Ahmed	103	55	Pak	Srl	Colombo (SSC)	Aug 14
18	BJ Watling	61*	59	NZl	Eng	Lord’s	May 15
19	MDKJ Perera	55	70	Srl	Ind	Colombo (SSC)	Aug 15
20	LD Chandimal	83	58	Srl	NZl	Dunedin	Dec 15
21	JM Bairstow	55	81	Eng	Pak	The Oval	Aug 16
22	Q de Kock	80	55	SAF	Srl	Durban	Feb 19
23	Mohd Rizwan	71	60	Pak	NZl	Mt Maunganui	Dec 20

Captain wicket keeper batsmen scoring twin fifties in a test.

30/12/2020 hrg

Mohd Rizwan of Pakistan score 71 and 60 against New Zealand in the just concluded test at Mount Maunganui to provide the tenth occasion of a captain wicket keeper batsman scoring fifties in both innings of a test in the annals of test cricket. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	FI	SI	Team	Oppn	Ground`	Mon/Yr
1	A Flower	74	129	Zim	Srl	Harare	Nov 99
2	T Taibu	85*	153	Zim	Ban	Dhaka	Jan 05
3	T Taibu	71*	52	Zin	Ind	Bulawayo	Sep 05
4	MS Dhoni	92	68*	Ind	Aus	Mohali	Oct 08
5	MS Dhoni	56	55	Ind	Aus	Nagpur	Nov 08
6	MS Dhoni	52	56*	Ind	NZl	Wellington	Apr 09
7	MS Dhoni	77	74*	Ind	Eng	Birmingham	Aug 11
8	Mushfiqur Rahim	60	93	Ban	Zim	Harare	Apr 13
9	Sarfaraz Ahmed	94	81	Pak	Aus	Abu Dhabi	Oct 18
10	Mohd Rizwan	71	60	Pak	NZl	Mt Maunganui	Dec 20

It also provides the eighth occasion of Pakistan captain wicket keeper batsman scoring twin fifties in a test. Both such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	FI	SI	Team	Oppn	Ground`	Mon/Yr
1	Sarfaraz Ahmed	94	81	Pak	Aus	Abu Dhabi	Oct 18
2	Mohd Rizwan	71	60	Pak	NZl	Mt Maunganui	Dec 20

It also provides the second occasion of a captain wicket keeper batsman scoring twin fifties in a test against New Zealand. Both such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	FI	SI	Team	Oppn	Ground`	Mon/Yr
1	MS Dhoni	52	56*	Ind	NZl	Wellington	Apr 09
2	Mohd Rizwan	71	60	Pak	NZl	Mt Maunganui	Dec 20

Wicket keeper batsmen scoring twin fifties in a test – Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan joins the list

30/12/2020 hrg

Mohd Rizwan of Pakistan score 71 and 60 against New Zealand in the just concluded test at Mount Maunganui to provide the 56^th occasion of a wicket keeper batsman scoring fifties in both innings of a test in the annals of test cricket. All such occasions are tabulated below‘

No	Player	FI	SI	Team	Opp	Ground	Start Date
1	JM Blackham	57	58*	Aus	Eng	Sydney	Feb 1883
2	Dilawar Hussain	59	57	Ind	Eng	Kolkata	Jan 34
3	CL Walcott	54	108	Win	Ind	Kolkata	Dec 48
4	RT Spooner	71	92	Eng	Ind	Kolkata	Dec 51
5	JHB Waite	115	59	SAF	Aus	Johannesburg	Dec 57
6	JHB Waite	58	56*	SAF	Eng	Birmingham	Jun 60
7	FCM Alexander	63*	87*	Win	Aus	Adelaide	Jan 61
8	DT Lindsay	69	182	SAF	Aus	Johannesburg	Dec 66
9	APE Knott	101	96	Eng	NZl	Auckland	Mar 71
10	APE Knott	92	63	Eng	Aus	The Oval	Aug 72
11	FM Engineer	121	66	Ind	Eng	Mumbai (BS)	Feb 73
12	APE Knott	71	63*	Eng	Pak	Hyd-Pak	Mar 73
13	APE Knott	87	67	Eng	Win	Bridgetown	Mar 74
14	DL Murray	66	55	Win	Aus	Brisbane	Nov 75
15	APE Knott	50	57	Eng	Win	The Oval	Aug 76
16	GN Edwards	55	54	NZl	Eng	Auckland	Mar 78
17	PJL Dujon	53	52	Win	Eng	Lord’s	Jun 88
18	Saleem Yousuf	62	66*	Pak	Aus	Faisalabad	Sep 88
19	A Flower	115	62*	Zim	Ind	Delhi	Mar 93
20	IA Healy	74	51*	Aus	Eng	Adelaide	Jan 95
21	A Flower	65	83	Zim	NZl	Auckland	Feb 98
22	A Flower	74	129	Zim	Srl	Harare	Nov 99
23	AC Gilchrist	78	55	Aus	Ind	Melbourne	Dec 99
24	A Flower	183*	70	Zim	Ind	Delhi	Nov 00
25	A Flower	55	232*	Zim	Ind	Nagpur	Nov 00
26	A Flower	51	83	Zim	Ind	Bulawayo	Jun 01
27	A Flower	142	9*	Zim	SAF	Harare	Sep 01
28	T Taibu	59	58	Zim	Ban	Harare	Feb 04
29	T Taibu	85*	153	Zim	Ban	Dhaka	Jan 05
30	T Taibu	71*	52	Zim	Ind	Bulawayo	Sep 05
31	Kamran Akmal	52	71	Pak	SAF	Lahore	Oct 07
32	MS Dhoni	92	68*	Ind	Aus	Mohali	Oct 08
33	MS Dhoni	56	55	Ind	Aus	Nagpur	Nov 08
34	MJ Prior	131*	61	Eng	Win	Port of Spain	Mar 09
35	MS Dhoni	52	56*	Ind	NZl	Wellington	Apr 09
36	Mushfiqur Rahim	79	95	Ban	Eng	Chattogram	Mar 10
37	MJ Prior	71	103*	Eng	Ind	Lord’s	Jul 11
38	MS Dhoni	77	74*	Ind	Eng	Birmingham	Aug 11
39	LD Chandimal	58	54	Srl	SAF	Durban	Dec 11
40	BJ Watling	63	63	NZl	SAF	Port Elizabeth	Jan 13
41	MJ Prior	73	110*	Eng	NZl	Auckland	Mar 13
42	Mushfiqur Rahim	60	93	Ban	Zim	Harare	Apr 13
43	BJ Haddin	94	53	Aus	Eng	Brisbane	Nov 13
44	Sarfaraz Ahmed	55	52*	Pak	Srl	Galle	Aug 14
45	Sarfaraz Ahmed	103	55	Pak	Srl	Colombo (SSC)	Aug 14
46	BJ Watling	61*	59	NZl	Eng	Lord’s	May 15
67	LD Chandimal	59	162*	Srl	Ind	Galle	Aug 15
68	MDKJ Perera	55	70	Srl	Ind	Colombo (SSC)	Aug 15
69	LD Chandimal	83	58	Srl	NZl	Dunedin	Dec 15
50	JM Bairstow	55	81	Eng	Pak	The Oval	Aug 16
51	Q de Kock	82	50	SAF	NZl	Centurion	Aug 16
52	WP Saha	54*	58*	Ind	NZl	Kolkata	Sep 16
53	Q de Kock	84	64	SAF	Aus	Perth	Nov 16
54	Sarfaraz Ahmed	94	81	Pak	Aus	Abu Dhabi	Oct 18
55	Q de Kock	80	55	SAF	Srl	Durban	Feb 20
56	Mohd Rizwan	71	60	Pak	NZl	Mt Maunganui	Dec 20

It also provides the sixth occasion of Pakistan wicket keeper batsman scoring twin fifties in a test. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	FI	SI	Opp	Ground	Start Date
1	Saleem Yousuf	62	66*	Aus	Faisalabad	23 Sep 1988
2	Kamran Akmal	52	71	SAF	Lahore	08 Oct 2007
3	Sarfaraz Ahmed	55	52*	Srl	Galle	06 Aug 2014
4	Sarfaraz Ahmed	103	55	Srl	Colombo (SSC)	14 Aug 2014
5	Sarfaraz Ahmed	94	81	Aus	Abu Dhabi	16 Oct 2018
6	Mohd Rizwan	71	60	NZl	Mt Maunganui	26 Dec 2020

It also provides the eighth occasion of wicket keeper batsman scoring twin fifties in a test against New Zealand. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	FI	SI	Team	Ground	Start Date
1	APE Knott	101	96	Eng	Auckland	05 Mar 1971
2	A Flower	65	83	Zim	Auckland	26 Feb 1998
3	MS Dhoni	52	56*	Ind	Wellington	03 Apr 2009
4	MJ Prior	73	110*	Eng	Auckland	22 Mar 2013
5	LD Chandimal	83	58	Srl	Dunedin	10 Dec 2015
6	Q de Kock	82	50	SAF	Centurion	27 Aug 2016
7	WP Saha	54*	58*	Ind	Kolkata	30 Sep 2016
8	Mohd Rizwan	71	60	Pak	Mt Maunganui	26 Dec 2020

Captains scoring twin fifties in test – Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan joins the list

30/12/2020 hrg

Mohammad Rizwan of Pakistan score 71 and 60 against New Zealand in the just concluded test at Mount Maunganui to provide the 200^th occasion of a captain scoring fifties in both innings of a test in the annals of test cricket. It also provides the 18^th occasion of Pakistan captain scoring twin fifties in a test. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	FI	SI	Oppo	Ground	Start Date
1	Hanif Mohammad	104	93	Aus	Melbourne	4 Dec 1964
2	Mushtaq Mohammad	107	67*	NZl	Karachi	30 Oct 1976
3	Mushtaq Mohammad	121	56	Win	Trinidad	1 Apr 1977
4	Imran Khan	83	72*	Aus	Melbourne	26 Dec 1983
5	Saleem Malik	75	143	Aus	Lahore	1 Nov 1994
6	Inzamam-ul-Haq	57	86	Ind	Mohali	8 Mar 2005
7	Inzamam-ul-Haq	50	117*	Win	Kingston	3 Jun 2005
8	Inzamam-ul-Haq	53	72	Eng	Multan	12 Nov 2005
9	Inzamam-ul-Haq	109	100*	Eng	Faisalabad	20 Nov 2005
10	Inzamam-ul-Haq	69	56*	Eng	Lord’s	13 Jul 2006
11	Misbah-ul-Haq	77	58*	SAF	Abu Dhabi	20 Nov 2010
12	Misbah-ul-Haq	99	70*	NZl	Wellington	15 Jan 2011
13	Misbah-ul-Haq	53	52	Zim	Harare	3 Sep 2013
14	Misbah-ul-Haq	63	68*	Srl	Sharjah	16 Jan 2014
15	Misbah-ul-Haq	101	101*	Aus	Abu Dhabi	30 Oct 2014
16	Misbah-ul-Haq	102	87	Eng	Dub-DSC	22 Oct 2015
17	Sarfaraz Ahmed	94	81	Aus	Abu Dhabi	16 Oct 2018
18	Mohammad Rizwan	71	60	NZl	Mt Maunganui	26 Dec 2020

It also provides the 20th occasion of a captain scoring twin fifties in a test against New Zealand. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	FI	SI	Team	Ground	Start Date
1	MJK Smith	54	87	Eng	Christchurch	25 Feb 1966
2	IM Chappell	145	121	Aus	Wellington	01 Mar 1974
3	Mushtaq Mohd	107	67*	Pak	Karachi	30 Oct 1976
4	IVA Richards	57	78	Win	Port of Spain	29 Mar 1985
5	AR Border	140	114*	Aus	Christchurch	28 Feb 1986
6	MA Atherton	94*	118	Eng	Christchurch	14 Feb 1997
7	BC Lara	67	75	Win	Wellington	26 Dec 1999
8	RT Ponting	105	86*	Aus	Auckland	26 Mar 2005
9	GC Smith	63	68	SAF	Johannesburg	05 May 2006
0	MS Dhoni	52	56*	Ind	Wellington	03 Apr 2009
11	KC Sangakkara	50	109	Srl	Colombo (SSC)	26 Aug 2009
12	Shakib Al Hasan	87	100	Ban	Hamilton	15 Feb 2010
13	Misbah-ul-Haq	99	70*	Pak	Wellington	15 Jan 2011
14	BRM Taylor	50	117	Zim	Bulawayo	01 Nov 2011
15	GC Smith	53	115	SAF	Dunedin	07 Mar 2012
16	AD Mathews	50	66	Srl	Christchurch	26 Dec 2014
17	AN Cook	75	56	Eng	Leeds	29 May 2015
18	SPD Smith	138	53*	Aus	Christchurch	20 Feb 2016
19	F du Plessis	52	56*	SAF	Dunedin	08 Mar 2017
20	Mohd Rizwan	71	60	Pak	Mt Maunganui	26 Dec 2020

It also provides the third occasion of a Pakistan captain scoring twin fifties in a test against New Zealand. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	FI	SI	Team	Ground	Start Date
1	Mushtaq Mohd	107	67*	Pak	Karachi	30 Oct 1976
2	Misbah-ul-Haq	99	70*	Pak	Wellington	15 Jan 2011
3	Mohd Rizwan	71	60	Pak	Mt Maunganui	26 Dec 2020

Pakistan batsman’s fourth innings test centuries in vain

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Fawad Alam’s 102 for Pakistan against New Zealand in the just concluded test at Mount Maunganui was in a losing cause to provide the 87^th occasion of a batsman’s century in the fourth innings of a test going in vain. It also provides the seventh occasion of a batsman’s century in the fourth innings of a test going in vain against New Zealand. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	Runs	I	Team	Ground	Start Date
1	RA McLean	113	4	SAF	Cape Town	01 Jan 1962
2	Mohd Wasim	109*	4	Pak	Lahore	21 Nov 1996
3	Shakib Al Hasan	100	4	Ban	Hamilton	15 Feb 2010
4	BRM Taylor	117	4	Zim	Bulawayo	01 Nov 2011
5	DA Warner	123*	4	Aus	Hobart	09 Dec 2011
6	S Dhawan	115	4	Ind	Auckland	06 Feb 2014
7	Fawad Alam	102	4	Pak	Mt Maunganui	26 Dec 2020

It also provides the ninth occasion of a Pakistan batsman’s century in the fourth innings of a test going in vain. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	Runs	I	Opp	Ground	Start Date
1	Asif Iqbal	135	4	Win	Kingston	15 Apr 1977
2	Ijaz Ahmed	121	4	Aus	Melbourne	12 Jan 1990
3	Moin Khan	117*	4	Srl	Sialkot	22 Sep 1995
4	Mohd Wasim	109*	4	NZl	Lahore	21 Nov 1996
5	Shahid Afridi	122	4	Win	Bridgetown	26 May 2005
6	Younis Khan	126	4	SAF	Karachi	01 Oct 2007
7	Asad Shafiq	137	4	Aus	Brisbane	15 Dec 2016
8	Asad Shafiq	112	4	Srl	Dub-DSC	06 Oct 2017
9	Fawad Alam	102	4	NZl	Mt Maunganui	26 Dec 2020

It also provides the second occasion of a Pakistan batsman’s century in the fourth innings of a test going in vain against New Zealand. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	Player	Runs	I	Opp	Ground	Start Date
1	Mohd Wasim	109*	4	NZl	Lahore	21 Nov 1996
2	Fawad Alam	102	4	NZl	Mt Maunganui	26 Dec 2020

Both Pakistan opening batsmen scoring ducks in a test innings

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Shan Masood and Abid Ali scored ducks in Pakistan’s second innings in the just concluded test against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui to provide the 55^th occasion of both the opening batsmen scoring ducks in a test innings in the annals of test cricket. It also provides the fifth such occasion by both the opening batsmen against New Zealand in tests.

It also provides the ninth occasion of both Pakistan opening batsmen scoring ducks in a test innings and the first such occasion by Pakistan opening batsmen against New Zealand. All such occasions are tabulated below

No	No	Player	R	I	Opp	Ground	Start Date
1	1	Shafiq Ahmed	0	1	Win	Karachi	22 Dec 1980
	2	Sadiq Mohammad	0	1	Win	Karachi	22 Dec 1980

2	1	Mudassar Nazar	0	2	Aus	Perth	13 Nov 1981
	2	Rizwan-uz-Zaman	0	2	Aus	Perth	13 Nov 1981

3	1	Mohsin Khan	0	3	Eng	Leeds	26 Aug 1982
	2	Mudassar Nazar	0	3	Eng	Leeds	26 Aug 1982

4	1	Shakeel Ahmed jnr	0	2	Win	St John’s	1 May 1993
	2	Ramiz Raja	0	2	Win	St John’s	1 May 1993

5	1	Imran Nazir	0	2	Aus	Col-PSS	3 Oct 2002
	2	Taufeeq Umar	0	2	Aus	Col-PSS	3 Oct 2002

6	1	Imran Nazir	0	1	Aus	Sharjah	11 Oct 2002
	2	Taufeeq Umar	0	1	Aus	Sharjah	11 Oct 2002

7	1	Mohammad Hafeez	0	3	SAF	Cape Town	14 Feb 2013
	2	Nasir Jamshed	0	3	SAF	Cape Town	14 Feb 2013

8	1	Shan Masood	0	3	SAF	Dub-DSC	23 Oct 2013
	2	Khurram Manzoor	0	3	SAF	Dub-DSC	23 Oct 2013

9	1	Shan Masood	0	4	NZl	Mt Maunganui	26 Dec 2020
	2	Abid Ali	0	4	NZl	Mt Maunganui	26 Dec 2020

Some pun like this on India’s win at Melbourne

29/12/2020 hrg

As the Indians *Wade* towards victory, I am sure this match would have caused a lot of *Burns* amongst the Aussies. Indian batting was *Head* and shoulders above the Aussies, making them turn *Green* with envy. The *Cummins* of form of the Indian team was in *Starc* contrast to the performance of the Aussies, which I am sure would have left the Aussie fans in *Paine* in their *Lyon*.

This is a forwarded message on whatsapp by my classmate in Engineering – Balachandra affetionately known as Balu

Ravi Shastri : India’s MCG triumph is one of the great comebacks in Test history

29/12/2020 hrg

India level the series in style. Bowled out for 36. Missing three, arguably four, first-choice players. Losing another mid-Test. Spending months on the road and in mentally challenging bubbles. Losing the toss. Becoming only the third team to come back from a 0-1 deficit in the last 50 years in Australia. You might have accused India coach Ravi Shastri of hyperbole in the past, but you probably wouldn’t argue against his assessment that India’s win in Melbourne after all that is one of the great comebacks in Test history, not just Indian cricket.

“I think this will go down in the annals of Indian cricket – no, world cricket – as one of the great comebacks in the history of the game,” Shastri said. “You know to be rolled over for 36 and then three days later to get up and be ready to punch was outstanding. The boys deserve all the credit for the character they have shown. Real character.”

The key to this comeback, Shastri said, was to accept the result in Adelaide and move on. He was asked what the chat was in the dressing room in Adelaide and then in Melbourne when they rocked up.

“No chat,” he said of Adelaide. “And when we arrived in Melbourne, it was the things we have got to do to get up and fight.

“We had a lot of positives in Adelaide but at the end of the day it is the result that counts. We were blown away in the second innings in one hour. So when you are blown away, you are blown away. There is nothing you can do about it than to get up and fight, which we did in this Test match. To beat a team like Australia, especially in Australia, there is no point having one good day or two good days, you have got to have five good days if you have to beat them. As simple as that.”

India began the final day of the Test still needing four wickets with scores level, and were held up by a stubborn tail helped by a missing seamer and by now a lifeless track. “We were focusing on accuracy and discipline,” Shastri said. “And be patient. Be prepared to be patient even if they batted a session or a session and a half. Be prepared to chase even 100 or 150 if needed. Think in that fashion. Think as if you have to take 10 wickets not just four wickets.”

Shastri was glowing in the praise of the stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane, especially his batting. “The discipline,” said Shastri of Rahane’s century. “On such a big stage, in a massive arena, to come as captain of the team, bat at No. 4. When he went out to bat, we were two down for 60 and then to bat six hours on probably the toughest day to bat. It was overcast; all day the sun never came out. He batted for six hours. Unbelievable concentration. I thought his innings was the turning point.”

Shastri acknowledged the calmness of Rahane played a part on the field. “He is a very shrewd leader, he has a good understanding for the game. A good reader of the game. And I thought his calm composure out there in the middle helped the debutants as well, helped the bowlers as well. There was a calming influence out there. In spite of losing Umesh [Yadav], he did a great job out there.”

One of the big positives for India will be that the debutants Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill looked ready for the occasion, for Test cricket, playing in a big match. “That’s the brand of cricket we have been playing for the last three or four years,” Shastri said. “When you saw these two debutants show that kind of maturity and discipline there, it was great to see. Today Siraj’s effort was outstanding actually. He might not have the numbers to show for it but the discipline and the ability to bowl long spells, the maturity he showed for someone playing his first Test, doing the job he had to do once we lost Umesh, was outstanding.

“Then Shubman going and playing with that kind of flair later on was great to see. Great character. More than anything else, great character. He looked very very mature for someone playing his first Test match. He looked very calm and composed. Wasn’t afraid to play his shots, which was great to see. Even in the second innings, it was very easy to get into a shell but he went out there and played his natural game, which was great from the team point of view.”

Shastri credited the IPL for giving India international-cricket-ready debutants. “A lot has to do with the IPL,” he said. “The fact that they share the dressing room with international players, they rub shoulders with the best, it is that complex factor disappears very quickly. And you see what you see now.”

While Shastri gave all the credit to the players, the team management made a bold move of playing a fifth bowler, Ravindra Jadeja, who proved his worth in all three disciplines. “He is a genuine allrounder,” Shastri said of Jadeja. “That is why he bats where he is. He can bat at 6, he can bat at 5 if need be on a given occasion. But he is a genuine genuine allrounder. That’s why he lends a lot of balance to the side. Also when you play overseas there is a chance of one of the bowlers getting injured, like you saw with Umesh. With Jadeja there, it gives better balance and it also gives fast bowlers some respite with Jaddu and Ashwin doing the bowling.”

They also replaced Wriddhiman Saha, the more accomplished pure wicketkeeper, with Rishabh Pant, the keeper-batsman. “I thought he was very very good,” Shastri said of Pant. “Anyone can make a mistake. Any batsman can make a mistake. I thought the discipline he showed, the runs he made, his ability to counterattack, and play some shots and move the game forward. It is a huge plus for the team. He showed it in this game. He might have got only 29 but there was a lot more than 29 there.”

Shastri confirmed they will continue with five bowlers for the next Test, but will wait to see how fit Rohit Sharma is before deciding on any change in the batting for the third Test. “We will stick to five bowlers,” Shastri said. “Rohit joins the team tomorrow. We will have a chat with him tomorrow to see where he is placed physically because he has been in quarantine for the last couple of weeks. Also got to see how he feels before we take the call.”

Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo : Article courtesy – espncricinfo.com