Stats highlights from the fourth day’s play at Kingsmead where Dane Piedt became the first South Africa offspinner in 50 years to take a five-for at home.

Shiva Jayaraman29-Dec-20151385 Runs scored by Joe Root in Tests in 2015 – the second highest by a batsman. Steven Smith with 1481 runs in 2015 ends the year as the highest run-scorer. Root is third in the list of batsmen with most international runs this year.1 Number of England batsmen who have made more Test runs in a calendar year than Root’s 1385 runs in 2015. Micheal Vaughan made 1481 runs in 2002, which remains the highest. His 2228 runs in international cricket in 2015 are the highest by any England batsman in a calendar year beating Kevin Pietersen’s 2120 runs in 2006. Root’s 1352 Test runs in 2015 batting at No. 4 or lower are also the highest by an England batsman in a year batting outside the top 3. He went past Kevin Pietersen’s tally of 1343 runs in 2006.1965 The last time before Dane Piedt a South Africa offspinner took a five-wicket haul in Tests at home. Harry Bromfield had taken 5 for 88 against the same opposition in Cape Town. This is just the third five-wicket haul by a South Africa spinner at home since their readmission to Test cricket. Paul Harris took the other two in 2009, against Australia and England. Piedt’s haul is also the first by a South Africa spinner at this venue since Hugh Tayfield took 8 for 69, also against England, in 1957-58. Click here for a list of five-wicket hauls by South Africa spinner at home.4 Number of times Piedt has taken four or more wickets in an innings in just three Tests. That equals the most such hauls by a South Africa bowler in his first three Tests. Alf Hall took two five-fors and two four-wicket hauls in his first three Tests. Vernon Philander had four five-fors in his first three Tests. Piedt’s 18 wickets in his first three Tests also equal the most any South Africa spinner has taken in his first three Tests. Claude Henderson also took 18 wickets in this first three Tests.120 Runs scored by Jonny Bairstow in this Test – the second highest by an England wicketkeeper in Tests in South Africa. The only instance when an England keeper made more runs in a Test in this country came way back in 1892 when Henry Wood scored an unbeaten 134 in Cape Town Test. Bairstow’s strike-rate of 103.94 in his innings of 79 is the second highest for an England batsman with a fifty-plus score in South Africa.18.76 Faf du Plessis’ strike rate in the fourth innings of Tests in 2015 – the lowest for any batsman who has faced at least 300 deliveries in the fourth innings of a Test in a year (wherever balls-faced information is available). As many as 348 of the 390 balls he faced in the fourth innings in 2015 were dots, with the last two instances when he batted in the fourth innings producing all of 12 scoring shots off 152 deliveries. Including his 9 in this innings, du Plessis’s last ten Test innings have produced six scores in single-digits and he has made 119 runs at 11.90.153 Runs conceded by Piedt in England’s second innings; that is the third highest conceded by any South Africa bowler with a five-wicket in an innings at home. The last instance when a South Africa bowler took a more expensive five-wicket haul at home came in 1948-49 when Athol Rowan conceded 167 runs, also against England, in Port Elizabeth.1947 The last time before this Test England set South Africa a target of 400-plus in Tests. That instance had come at home, at The Oval, and the Test had ended in a draw. The current Test is also the tenth time that South Africa have been set a target of 400-plus in Tests at home. They have ended up losing on eight of the previous nine occasions. The only time they drew was against India in Johannesburg in 2013-14 when they ended up just eight runs short.4 Number of times teams have batted for more than 140 overs in the fourth innings of a Test in the last ten years. South Africa did that in their previous Test, against India in Delhi, when they batted for 143.1 overs before being bowled out. In the previous such instance for them, however, they had managed a famous draw at the Adelaide Oval in 2012-13 when they batted out 148 overs. The other two instances, incidentally, are by England.0 Fifty-plus stands by South Africa’s openers in the previous eight Test innings before this, from which they had managed a total of just 94 runs at an average of 11.75. Overall, since their return to Test cricket, South Africa’s first wicket has averaged their third-lowest this year, and their second-worst had come only last year.

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2016Shane Watson bowled for the first time in the series and removed Faf du Plessis•Getty ImagesHashim Amla batted throughout the innings for a career-best 97•Getty ImagesRilee Rossouw struggled throughout his stay at the crease•Getty ImagesDavid Miller provided some late blow•Getty ImagesGoing nuts: this chap spent much of South Africa’s innings running around the outfield•Gallo ImagesShane Watson helped Australia to a solid start in their chase•Getty ImagesDavid Warner again brought out a full range of strokes•AFPMitchell Marsh clubbed the winning runs to give Australia the series•AFP

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2016That, however, did not deter Jason Roy as he cut loose on Sri Lanka’s spinners•Getty ImagesJoe Root gave him good support as the pair added 61 for England’s second wicket•Getty ImagesSri Lanka hit back by sending back both batsmen quickly, in the middle overs•AFPJos Buttler then took charge of England’s innings•AFPHe added a vital 74-run stand with his captain, Eoin Morgan, that took England past 150•AFPButtler’s unbeaten 66 helped England reach a strong 171 in a must-win match for his side•AFPChris Jordan accounted for Dinesh Chandimal in the second over, hurting Sri Lanka’s chase early on•Getty ImagesMore blows meant Sri Lanka found themselves at 15 for 4 by the end of the third over•Getty Images/ICCAngelo Mathews, though, dug in to ensure that Sri Lanka did not lose a wicket for the next 10 overs•Getty ImagesHe added 80 with Chamara Kapugedera before Kapugedera fell for 30•Associated PressThisara Perera struck some powerful blows to help Sri Lanka narrow the equation down to 22 off the last two overs•Associated PressHowever, Jordan picked up two wickets in the slog overs – taking his match tally to a career-best 4 for 28•Getty ImagesSri Lanka needed 15 off the final over, but Ben Stokes kept things tight and did not concede a single boundary, helping England seal their semi-final berth•Getty ImagesThe result was heartbreaking not just for Sri Lanka and Mathews; South Africa, who needed an England defeat to stand any hope of qualifying, also had to contend with an early exit•Getty Images

Virat Kohli’s numbers in run-chases continue to astound, while Australia’s losing streak against India continues

S Rajesh27-Mar-2016122.83 Virat Kohli’s average in successful run-chases in T20Is – he has scored 737 runs with nine not-outs, at a strike rate of 131. In all run-chases he averages 91.80, at a strike rate of 132.65. His unbeaten 82 here is also his highest when batting second.918 Runs for Kohli in run-chases, the second highest among all batsmen in T20I. Only Brendon McCullum has scored more, but his 1006 runs came in 38 innings, compared to Kohli’s 918 in 19. Among batsmen with at least 300 runs in chases, his average is easily the highest.66.83 Kohli’s T20I average against Australia: he has scored 401 runs in nine innings, with three not-outs. In chases against Australia, he averaged 33 in four innings before today; after this game, that average has gone up to 53.50. Kohli’s aggregate of 401 is the second best by any batsman against one team in T20Is, next only to Martin Guptill’s 424 in ten innings against South Africa.6 Consecutive T20Is that India have won against Australia, starting with the Rajkot win in October 2013. It equals the most successive wins by one of the top eight teams against another: England had six in a row against New Zealand between 2008 and 2013.9 Wins for India against Australia in T20Is, the most for them against any opposition. It’s also the most defeats for Australia against any opposition.12.83 James Faulkner’s economy rate against India in the last five overs in T20Is: he has gone for 92 runs in 43 balls, and has taken one wicket (average 92.00). Against all other teams, he has an economy rate of 8.79, and an average of 10.40 (20 wickets for 208 runs in 142 balls).

53 Australia’s total after four overs, their second highest at that stage in a T20I. Their highest is 55, against West Indies in Sydney in 2010. They reached 50 in 3.2 overs in that game, compared to 3.5 today.51 Runs scored by Australia in ten overs from the 5th to the 14th. During this period they played 26 dots, took 31 singles, six twos, and hit only three fours.22 Runs conceded by Ashwin in his first over today. Only once has he gone for more in an over: against Australia in Rajkot, he leaked 24 in an over, including three sixes.39 Innings to get to 1500 T20I runs for Kohli, the fastest among all batsmen. The previous quickest was 44 innings, by Chris Gayle.

England played a full part in a compelling Test, but if they are to continue to evolve as a Test side the top order has to shape matches

George Dobell17-Jul-2016It will be of little consolation to an England team smarting from defeat in the short term but, in years to come, when they look back on this match, they may reflect with some gratitude that they were involved in one of the more compelling Tests of recent times.Four days of enthralling cricket, featuring patches of brilliance, moments of awfulness and several shifts in the balance of power were watched by full houses who applauded the achievements of both sides. In a country that has been divided and against a team that, on their last visit, made few friends, it was a hugely encouraging, restorative experience. In the grand scheme, these things matter a great deal more than results.Pakistan didn’t just beat England: they charmed their supporters with their flair and joy. Responding to dropped catches and near misses with smiles, they demonstrated outrageous skills at times – Yasir Shah and Wahab Riaz, in particular, were wonderful on the final day – as well as unity and good humour. They may have left Lord’s in 2010 in disgrace. But their rehabilitation is complete. They are impossible not to like and admire.But while it is no disgrace to lose to such a side – a side who may well have the best bowling attack in Test cricket – England will know that their batting let them down in this match. Not for the first time, their vulnerability was exposed but this time, with no Ben Stokes and both Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root pushed a place up the order, they lacked the depth to rebuild. It has been an accident waiting to happen for some time.Alastair Cook called the batting “naive.” Reasoning that England were “100 runs light” in their first innings, he blamed “poor shot selection” for his team’s low totals and admitted “frustration” at losing six wickets to legspin on a first-innings pitch offering Yasir Shah little assistance.”It was a 350 or 400 wicket,” Cook said. “So for a legspinner to get a six-for on day two is frustrating. We allowed Yasir to get six wickets when he wasn’t turning the ball. It cost us.”We played too many bad shots. There was some poor shot selection and we played some naïve shots at times. Nobody scored a hundred for us in this game and you don’t win too many games when you don’t score hundreds.”Perhaps the key moment – and certainly one of the defining moments – of the game came when England were well-poised at 118 for 1 in their first innings. With the opportunity to build an imposing first innings, Root attempted a slog-sweep and top-edged the ball to midwicket. England’s inexperienced middle-order was exposed and what could have been a first-innings lead became a deficit.It was a moment that goes a long way to summing up the current character of this England side. They are inventive and brave, for sure. And when it comes off, they are a joy to watch.But they are also, as Cook put it, “naive.” While the best sides show a ruthlessness to shut opposition out of the game, England are still struggling to find the balance between the positive cricket that reflects the natural style of their game and the disciplined cricket that characterises the best sides. Instead of seeing off bowling and accumulating, there is still a tendency to try to hit bowlers out of the attack.Moeen Ali’s heave at Yasir Shah was one of a number of ill-judged shots•Getty ImagesIt was demonstrated again in the second innings. Root, ignoring the man placed for the stroke, fell pulling, Alex Hales went cutting and Moeen Ali was bowled after he skipped down the pitch to his fourth ball and attempted to hit Yasir back over his head. It was oddly reckless batting for a side that had almost 180 overs to score 283.While Gary Ballance looked reassuringly solid in contributing 43, James Vince’s streaky 42 was less convincing. As well as being dropped on 9, the result of reaching for a drive well outside off stump, he survived a sliced drive off Yasir that flew just over point and another edge of Wahab that passed between slip and gully.Though his cover drive is pleasing, his inclination to play it against the swinging ball with limited foot movement is not. He is likely to win another chance at Old Trafford but, bearing in mind he has also dropped four chances (albeit tough ones), he might consider himself fortunate to be playing under the current selection regime.Despite the batsmen letting England down, it will probably be two bowlers who are dropped for Manchester. Steven Finn and Jake Ball are the most vulnerable as England look to make space for the return of James Anderson (whose absence here is a red herring; England lost because of weak batting not the absence of another good swing bowler) and Stokes.While there may be some concern about including two men coming back from injury in a four-man seam attack, the return of Stokes would lengthen the batting order. Chris Woakes’ emergence means there is no need to hurry him, though. Adil Rashid may also replace Moeen, or perhaps join him in the squad.Another option would be to select a solid top-order batsman in the mould of Cook. With the selectors unlikely to go back to Nick Compton – who is expected to return to cricket with Middlesex in the next few days – there might be some wisdom in looking to Sam Robson, who has been one of the most impressive batsmen in county cricket this season. That would allow Hales to move to No. 3 and Root back to No. 4 and provide a little of the ballast that England seem to be missing.It is unlikely to happen, though. This England team appears so committed to picking ‘positive’ players and playing aggressive cricket, that it is in danger of overlooking players who might help provide the best chance of winning. The flair of Root et al is wonderful, but only if it is tempered by a bit of restraint and patience will it be fulfilled.

Steven Smith and Shaun Marsh gave Australia a template for successful batting in Asia before their platform was wasted. Australia will reflect that it was progress at least to have a position to squander in the first place

Daniel Brettig in Colombo15-Aug-20161:29

‘It was really challenging out there’ – Shaun Marsh

Early in his innings, on the second evening, Steven Smith went back to try to cut Rangana Herath off the line of the stumps. The ball skidded through, Smith was hurried in his shot, and the ball skittered away for no run. Immediately, Smith reeled away in self-recriminating histrionics, angry at himself for taking the same risk that resulted in his dismissal in Galle.Of all his Test hundreds, this was perhaps Smith’s most draining. He has had a difficult tour, his first experience of defeat as captain, and tried several methods to succeed as a batsman in a region where he had never scored a century.There had been extremes of approach in Pallekele; first a harebrained charge down the pitch that precipitated a ruinous first innings, then a highly disciplined second innings wagon wheel; his scoring was restricted almost exclusively to leg side deflections until Rangana Herath found a way through. In Galle, Smith tried something in between with limited success, before, if anything, adding a few more shots to the locker at the SSC.Importantly, he chose to add the inside out drive over cover to his methods of scoring off Herath, a shot the left-arm spinner is known to detest almost as much as the blow to the groin that took him from the field for periods of days two and three. Smith was then able to rejoice in the success of Shaun Marsh, and mark a milestone of his own: a first hundred in Asia and the first signs that Australia might be able to find a workable blueprint to defeat India at home in February-March 2017.There were plenty of cues to be taken from the way Marsh went about his own business: covering his stumps, not being perturbed by balls that spun and capitalising on anything fractionally loose. There was also liberal use of the sweep shot – the result of overnight discussion between Marsh, the coach Darren Lehmann and the team analyst Dene Hills – including for the nibble down leg side that took him to three figures for the fourth time in Tests.”I was just trying to stick to my game plan,” Marsh said. “Trying to play for the straight ball and if it spun past me so be it. I was basically trying to do that over and over again and it was really challenging out there. It was good fun.”Last night night when [Dilruwan Perera] came over the wicket to me, he caused me a few little problems. So I had a good chat with Boof and Dene Hills last night and it was certainly something for me to come out today and play that shot. It worked well. I was very relieved when it was called runs … I thought I got a little bit of glove there…”But even as Smith and Marsh went on to a put together a stand of 246, the highest second wicket stand in Tests between Australia and Sri Lanka, the feeling remained that danger was only ever a ball or two away.Smith and Marsh made a significant stride in Australia’s efforts to find a better way in these conditions, but once they were dismissed, there was soon a reminder of how much more needs to be done by others. Having ascended as high as 267 for 1, the last nine went down for 112.Australia’s batsmen will perhaps look back on day three as one of missed opportunities•AFPThis was not, in fairness, an unprecedented occurrence in these parts. Plenty of Australian teams have fallen in similar heaps after a big stand is broken. In 2001 in India it happened virtually every time Matthew Hayden got out, in 2010 likewise after Ricky Ponting’s exit. The progress made in Colombo was the fact that at least one partnership had been formed, so for once there was actually a platform to squander.Even so, the litany that followed the dismissals of Marsh (to pace) and Smith will be a source of further concern for the coach Darren Lehmann and whoever is chosen to work as his full-time batting assistant after this tour. The inclusion of Moises Henriques as a No. 5 batsman reached a sad, yet foreseeable conclusion; the New South Wales allrounder poking around nervously until drawn out of his crease by Herath. While serious injury and a preponderance of Twenty20 assignments have made it hard for Henriques, the fact remained that the most recent of his four first-class hundreds was as far back as March 2015. Expecting another one here was asking a lot.Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh and Peter Nevill all showed varying signs of improvement, trying to adapt the clam style earlier exhibited by Smith and Shaun Marsh. Voges was perhaps unfortunate to be given out on a marginal lbw call, and Marsh could at least toast his first 50 since his second Test, against Pakistan in the UAE near enough to two years ago. Nevill’s latest low score was a cause for more worries, as the wait for substantial runs from a wicketkeeper with a strong first-class record continues. A dropped catch in Australia’s brief stint in the field was a sign of sapped confidence, and Nevill’s edge on other suitors for the gloves will not last if that continues.In all, this was a day in which Australia found the first few green shoots of genuine progress in Asia, yet still found themselves in a dicey position by the time stumps were drawn. Smith will be frustrated with this of course. At least he now has helped to fashion a working example of how his batsmen should operate in this part of the world.

Former South Africa batsman Lee Irvine remembers his Essex days, batting against John Gleeson, drinking with Arlott, and watching a football game with Kanhai

Luke Alfred18-Oct-2016A neat undercard act rather than the main bout, Lee Irvine had the misfortune to have played in the 1960s, South Africa’s golden age. Despite having a knot of heavy hitters ahead of him – Mike Procter, Barry Richards, Eddie Barlow, and the Pollocks – Irvine looks back on his career with breezy pride. Look carefully when he tells his stories and you can see the past dance in his lively eyes. Here is a man with no obvious regrets.Irvine remains in regular contact with his former Essex room-mate, the legspinner Robin Hobbs, and counts Mark Nicholas as a good friend. As a designated driver in his second season at Essex, he ferried Keith Boyce back to his digs in Leytonstone in his Lotus Cortina (colour: indeterminate), and spent long hours as a schoolboy practising with the peerless Barry Richards. He has a story or two about them all.”Don’t ask me how but I once ended up watching Spurs at White Hart Lane with Rohan Kanhai,” says Irvine with a wry smile.”My second game for the county was against Glamorgan at Pontypridd. The bar was closed because of a fight between some locals. I remember John Arlott inviting me up to his room for a drink. He opened a case which contained sherry and port. ‘Take your pick,’ he said, and we started talking.”Irvine’s Essex days were glorious, spoiled only by the fact that Essex played their home games in those days on a variety of local “shit heaps” like Southend-on-Sea and Colchester. Their secretary worked out of a Rothmans-branded caravan that he hauled across the length and breadth of the land. The Essex scoreboard was mounted on the back of a truck. The club had 12 contracted players and Irvine earned £1500 (plus little incentives and money for winning a national sixes competition) for four and a bit months of work.In 1968 it rained on every day of the season bar three.”We were the poorest county in the country,” he says. “I lived with a couple called Gladys and Ron Mouldey in Chingford. Their daughter had left home to get married and they had a spare room. I paid one pound a day and I got food and laundry and I only paid when I was there. I used to write to them and send them Christmas cards.”Irvine wanted desperately to tour England with South Africa in 1971, he says, because it would have given him the opportunity of playing on really good pitches. It would also, he adds, have allowed him to cement his reputation in the collective cricketing mind. Alas, it was not to be. His Springbok blazer was ready at Markhams, the outfitters, and his kit was ready and marked. Only days before the scheduled departure date, the tour was called off.Such was the bottleneck of talent up ahead of him that it took Irvine most of the 1960s to knock on the door of national selection.In 1969 he followed work from Durban up to Johannesburg in Transvaal as it was known then. Having played good cricket for seasons at Berea Rovers, he knew the importance of selecting a competitive club side and duly joined Ali Bacher at Balfour Park, rivals to two teams from Wanderers, Old Edwardians and Old Johannians, in the tough local league.”Solly Katz emigrated to Israel, so there was a vacancy at Balfour for a wicketkeeper,” says Irvine. “Ali said: ‘Sure, let’s take a look.’ I took the gloves and we played for about five weeks before selection for Transvaal’s first Currie Cup game. Ali had a voice in selection – he didn’t have a vote – and when the first Transvaal side of the season was chosen, they opted for me rather than a guy called Elton Chatterton, a neat keeper but probably not as good a batsman as I was.”We played against Eastern Province in November 1969 and I batted at six, coming in at 119 for 4. I made 138 not out, took six catches in their first innings and made 46 in the second dig. Transvaal shared that season’s Currie Cup with Western Province.”A couple of months later Bill Lawry’s Australians arrived.The South Africans were particularly worried about two of their number: fast bowler Garth McKenzie and mystery spinner John Gleeson.”We were determined to keep McKenzie out and we were pretty good at that because he ended up being dropped for the third Test,” says Irvine.

“I lived with a couple called Gladys and Ron Mouldey in Chingford. I paid one pound a day and I got food and laundry and I only paid when I was there. I used to write to them and send them Christmas cards”

“What were we going to do about Gleeson, though? We decided to have a look and if we needed to have another meeting after the first Test – which we won – we would.”Anyway, Graeme [Pollock] says after the Test that he can read him and we all listen. Graeme says that the secret is that when Gleeson bowls the legbreak, you don’t see any finger; when he bowls the googly, you can see a finger.”So Ali [Bacher] runs himself out just before lunch as he tries to get Barry to a hundred, and Barry gets out for the famous 140.”Eventually I’m in. I’m playing nicely and I look for the finger and because I don’t see it, I assume it’s the legbreak and I get bowled for 13. ‘Hey, what about the finger,’ I ask Graeme, and he just shrugs and says that he ended up playing him off the pitch.”Irvine became more confident as the series progressed. He top-scored in South Africa’s first innings of the third Test, at the Wanderers, with 79, running out of partners before being caught by Keith Stackpole on the cover boundary, as the hosts took the series. “John [Traicos, the last batsman] was angry with me because he said he would have kept them out, but I didn’t know very much about him – we were scrambling mad singles into the gully at the end.”Irvine improved on that 79 by scoring his maiden Test hundred in the fourth Test, at St George’s – on his 26th birthday.He never played Test cricket again. Bacher, comparing him to AB de Villiers in terms of all-round sporting ability, said that he was one of the most scandalously neglected cricketers of the age.”My technique was very unlimited, if I can say that,” says Irvine, “and I was always known as a fast scorer.”In , by Andre Odendaal, Vince van der Bijl reckoned I was one of the most difficult batsmen to bowl to. Les Theobald, our cricket coach at school, used to say to opener Bruce Heath and me that we had one ball as a sighter and then we had to look for a run every ball. We were brilliant runners between wickets and that was good for Barry because he was flat-footed and he wasn’t that great a runner himself.”If Irvine does have a lower-case regret, it’s that he didn’t return to Essex for a third consecutive season, although the reason for not doing so was obvious – he expected to be involved with the South African tour to England instead.He is at his most animated when discussing his Essex days, whether it was a battling spell when facing Derek Underwood on a sticky in a 40-over game against Kent at Purfleet, or being cheated out in a crucial end-of-season game against Yorkshire.”I got my county cap after a game against Yorkshire at Westcliff-on-Sea in my first season at Essex,” he remembers. “They were chasing the Championship and in a low-scoring game we batted last, needing 96 to win. I came in at 38 for 3 against a proper side. They had [Fred] Trueman, [Brian] Close, [Geoff] Boycott, Don Wilson. They were talented, but Close, who was fielding at short leg, tried to cheat me out. He clicked his fingers to simulate a caught-behind and when I didn’t walk – you walked in those days – I got ten kinds of lip.”So, anyway, the bottom line was that I got 28 not out and we won the game when I hit Geoff Cope for a six. No sooner had I stormed off than one of their juniors gets sent by Close into our dressing room to congratulate me. I told him, ‘If Close wants to come and say anything to me he should come and do it himself.'”There were other bizarre occasions besides. When he played the touring Australians in 1968, a new pitch had to be rolled at Southchurch Park in Southend. In the second innings he padded up to Bob Cowper (the ball pitching outside leg) as the ball spun across him. It hit the back of his bat before being pouched by Ian Redpath at first slip. Essex were bowled out for 122.Unlike some of his former colleagues, who seem to enjoy being swept along by almost infinite tides of bitterness, Irvine rejoices in his memories. He would have loved to have locked horns with West Indies, Pakistan and India overseas.”The first challenge for me was to succeed at top level, but after having accomplished that, you wanted to do it away,” he says. “In Pakistan and India they had their own umpires and, to put it mildly, they were dodgy. umpires were dodgy. They were amateurs, some who had never played the game. At least England had guys like Dickie Bird, who had first-class experience, so you could trust them.”The biggest challenge was to play away against the top sides, against some of those guys I played on the county circuit. Eating curry with Mushtaq Mohammad one or twice a season just wasn’t enough.”

Stats highlights from a day in Kanpur dominated by India

Bharath Seervi24-Sep-201615.60 Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling average in Tests in Asia – the best by any bowler with 50 or more wickets. There is some distance to the second best on this list: Richie Benaud with 19.32.12.53 Jadeja’s bowling average in first-class matches since start of September last year – best among all 389 bowlers who have taken 20 or more wickets in this period. He has taken 80 wickets in just 12 matches, including 11 five-wicket hauls. No other bowler has taken these many five-fors over this one year.7 Runs for which New Zealand lost their last five wickets – their second-lowest in an away Test. They collapsed from 255 for 5 to 262 all out. They had lost their last five wickets for five runs in Colombo (SSC) in 1992-93.2 Instances when India bowlers dismissed six batsmen lbw in a Test innings, including this Test. The first was in Mohali in 1994-95 against West Indies.86.20 Kane Williamson’s average in Tests as captain. He has made five scores of 50 or more in seven innings when leading his team so far. His average is easily one of the highest as captain.1 Runs made by Ross Taylor in his last three Test innings. He had made 1 & 0 in the Centurion Test before bagging another duck in the first innings of this Test. But in the series against Zimbabwe, just before the South Africa tour, he had accumulated 365 runs in three innings without getting dismissed.3 Instances of three century partnerships for the second wicket in a Test, including this Test. The last such Test was in 1972-73 at the MCG between Australia and Pakistan. The only other was the Ashes Test of 1953 at Lord’s.2008 Last time India’s top-three batsmen made scores of 30 or more in both innings of a Test – against Australia in Mohali. This was the fifth such instance and incidentally the second at Green Park. They had done the same against West Indies here in 1958-59.11.60 Average partnership between KL Rahul and M Vijay in Tests, before this match. They had accumulated only 58 runs in five stands, with a best of 48. In this Test, they have had partnerships of 42 and 52.

Not for the first time, Mushfiqur Rahim was an unbending presence for Bangladesh when the pressure was on in the final innings of a Test

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-2016When Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha said that he valued Tamim Iqbal’s nine runs as highly as a half-century, one wondered how much he would award Mushfiqur Rahim for his back-to-the-wall 39. As arguably Bangladesh’s most consistent batsman in the fourth innings, he kept dragging the chase to a point where now, at the fortified Radisson hotel, both sets of players are going to have a nervous night of sleep.Bedraggled can be a way to describe this Test match, and Bangladesh’s batting has not been exactly convincing in both innings. But when Mushfiqur has moved behind the ball to defend, drive, pull or leave, he has been most assuring.Hathurusingha’s comment about Tamim’s innings intended to convey how valuable a good opening partnership was to Bangladesh’s 286-run chase on such a difficult pitch for the batsmen. Tamim and Imrul Kayes added 35 runs, which ended up being the highest among the opening stands in the four innings. While Tamim was uncharacteristically docile, Imrul, Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah and Shakib Al Hasan batted with more intent, although three of those fell while playing across the line.But Mushfiqur was an unbending presence during his 168-minute stay. With his side perilously placed at 108 for 4, there was a lot happening around him with England appealing dramatically almost at every opportunity, dust flying everywhere and fielders nearly colliding as they attempted to catch the ball off the bat that he pushed down in defence. But, like he has often done when the pressure is at its highest, he disengaged himself from his surroundings. Almost a monk-like presence took over every time he crouched down to face the next delivery.There was stark contrast between Mushfiqur’s concentration and Shakib’s mad blowout in the first innings. Bangladesh gave away a 45-run lead in part because Shakib got out at a point when they had the best chance to get closer to England. They remain in less comfort because of that shot but Mushfiqur lessened the pain.Mushfiqur is known as the hardest working cricketer in the land, and of late it has perhaps worn him down, but on days like this the benefit of all that time spent in the nets was evident.Muscle memory is one of the advantages that training gives a player, and in his case there was hardly a beat that he missed as pace and spin was hurled towards him. He was astute in defence and knew exactly when to find the single that got him off strike. His boundaries came through mid-on and third man at a time when he had played more than 35 deliveries, and a hammered pull off Stuart Broad came more than 19 overs later, when he had built up a rhythm in his 87-run sixth wicket stand with Sabbir Rahman.Mushfiqur Rahim allows himself a rare moment of attack•Getty ImagesWhat also mattered during this tricky chase was Mushfiqur’s efficiency in the fourth innings, a usual time for a Bangladesh effort to wilt under the weight of a massive target. He averages 40.23 in 14 innings, which includes 101 against India and 95 against England at this venue in the fourth innings. In terms of time spent at the crease at this stage of a game, this 39 against England has been his second longest stay.Mushfiqur was also at the crease when Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe in the mad 101 chase in Dhaka two years ago. He made an unbeaten 23 in 93 minutes, a fine riposte in his first game after being removed as the limited overs captain.Gareth Batty and the wearing Chittagong wicket combined to produce the only delivery that was going to remove Mushfiqur from the chase, but Bangladesh still have a chance of an historic win and that was because Mushfiqur got into his zone when under the most intense pressure.The crowd in Chittagong was quiet when he had walked in to bat as Mahmudullah’s dismissal, with another 178 runs left in the chase, was seen as a big blow. When Mushfiqur walked off, the silence turned mostly into an emotional exit.It is hard to avoid thinking about the night in Bangalore earlier this year when his dismissal started one of the cruellest slides ever conjured in an international match. But what a century couldn’t achieve, if Bangladesh end up beating England, perhaps this 39 will have lasting significance?

Plays of the day from the one-off T20 between England and Pakistan

Melinda Farrell at Old Trafford07-Sep-2016The header
Pakistan’s fielding has been the subject of some derision throughout the tour but no one could accuse Imad Wasim of failing to put his body – or, rather, his head – on the line. After the bowling the first over, Imad was fielding at cover when Alex Hales smashed a short ball from Sohail Tanvir to his left. After committing to the dive, Imad was foiled by an awkward bounce and copped a nasty blow to the side of his head. He soon left the field for treatment but, luckily for Pakistan, he recovered and returned to immediately claim the wicket of Jason Roy.The thunderbolt
He may, at times, be inconsistent but when his dander is up Wahab Riaz is undoubtedly a bowler of great spells. With only 24 deliveries to send down he built up a head of steam and bowled with ferocity and blinding pace. Four times during the 14th over he topped 93mph, but he only needed the first one to produce a vital breakthrough. Jos Buttler did well to just connect with a short and wide delivery that was clocked at a whopping 96.4mph but, in doing so, sliced the ball straight to deep point and into the waiting grasp of substitute fielder, Amad Butt.The carry
In the final over of England’s innings, Moeen Ali attempted to hoick Wahab over cover. In turning to run back for the catch, Babar Azam appeared to twist his ankle and dropped to the ground in obvious pain as the ball plopped down safely. With only two deliveries remaining, Shoaib Malik took matters quite literally into his own hands. In an impressive show of strength, Malik scooped Babar up into his arms and carted him off the field with all the speed and eagerness of a groom ferrying his bride across the threshold, impatient to get the wedding night started. Who says romance is dead?The ringer
T20 specialist Khalid Latif was flown in especially for this match and justified the airfare in the second over, in which he belted Chris Jordan – who, before the match, had said he felt confident opening the bowling – for four boundaries. Maybe Latif had decided to save his legs after the long haul flight but Sharjeel Khan was also keen to avoid any excess running. The pair hammered ten boundaries in the opening four overs and Pakistan’s first 36 runs came without the batsmen leaving their crease, much to the deafening delight of the vuvuzela wielding crowd.