Harbhajan's double, and Sammy's start
Centuries after a pair, most World Cups, making debuts on the same day, Kuwait-born cricketers, and more
Steven Lynch
23-Nov-2010
Ravi Bopara went from three ducks to three centuries • Getty Images
Harbhajan Singh just scored his second successive Test century, both from No. 8. Has anyone done this from so low down the order before? asked Cherise Asha Clarke from Trinidad and Tobago
Last week Harbhajan Singh became only the eighth player to have scored more than one Test century from No. 8 in the order, but the first to do so in successive matches. Daniel Vettori, one of the toiling bowlers in Hyderabad, is one of only two batsmen to have made three centuries from No. 8: the other is Kamran Akmal, who is also the man who has come closest to equalling Harbhajan's feat. In 2005-06, Akmal made 154 against England in Lahore from No. 8, then in his next Test, against India in Lahore, he made 102 not out... from No. 7. Two Tests later, back at No. 8, he made 113 against India in Karachi. The others to have scored two centuries from No. 8 are Mark Boucher and Eric Dalton of South Africa, India's Kapil Dev, Bruce Taylor of New Zealand, and Pakistan's Wasim Akram - who also holds the record for the highest score by a Test No. 8, with his 257 not out against Zimbabwe in Sheikhupura in 1996-97.
Last week Harbhajan Singh became only the eighth player to have scored more than one Test century from No. 8 in the order, but the first to do so in successive matches. Daniel Vettori, one of the toiling bowlers in Hyderabad, is one of only two batsmen to have made three centuries from No. 8: the other is Kamran Akmal, who is also the man who has come closest to equalling Harbhajan's feat. In 2005-06, Akmal made 154 against England in Lahore from No. 8, then in his next Test, against India in Lahore, he made 102 not out... from No. 7. Two Tests later, back at No. 8, he made 113 against India in Karachi. The others to have scored two centuries from No. 8 are Mark Boucher and Eric Dalton of South Africa, India's Kapil Dev, Bruce Taylor of New Zealand, and Pakistan's Wasim Akram - who also holds the record for the highest score by a Test No. 8, with his 257 not out against Zimbabwe in Sheikhupura in 1996-97.
Darren Sammy made a golden duck in his first innings as a Test captain. Has anyone else ever done this? asked Bharathram Pattabiraman via Facebook
The records are incomplete on this one, as we don't always know the balls faced in all Tests. The new West Indian captain Darren Sammy, in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, was the 24th man to start his career as a Test captain with a duck. Of those, three others definitely bagged a first-baller on debut as captain: Johnny Douglas, for England against Australia in Sydney in 1911-12; Warren Bardsley, for Australia v England at Headingley in 1926 (he fell to the first ball of the match); and Rashid Latif, for Pakistan v South Africa in Port Elizabeth in 1997-98. Latif was out fourth ball in the second innings too, to complete a pair - an experience shared on Test-captaincy debut only by Australia's Mark Taylor and Habibul Bashar of Bangladesh. Other captains who might have been out first ball - the records are inconclusive but the scores show they departed very quickly - are Ivo Bligh (1882-83), another Englishman in Plum Warner (1903-04; his own account says he fell "in Laver's first over", which was the second of the match, after a maiden), "Buster" Nupen of South Africa (1930-31), the New Zealander Harry Cave (1955-56), and Fazal Mahmood of Pakistan (1958-59).
The records are incomplete on this one, as we don't always know the balls faced in all Tests. The new West Indian captain Darren Sammy, in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, was the 24th man to start his career as a Test captain with a duck. Of those, three others definitely bagged a first-baller on debut as captain: Johnny Douglas, for England against Australia in Sydney in 1911-12; Warren Bardsley, for Australia v England at Headingley in 1926 (he fell to the first ball of the match); and Rashid Latif, for Pakistan v South Africa in Port Elizabeth in 1997-98. Latif was out fourth ball in the second innings too, to complete a pair - an experience shared on Test-captaincy debut only by Australia's Mark Taylor and Habibul Bashar of Bangladesh. Other captains who might have been out first ball - the records are inconclusive but the scores show they departed very quickly - are Ivo Bligh (1882-83), another Englishman in Plum Warner (1903-04; his own account says he fell "in Laver's first over", which was the second of the match, after a maiden), "Buster" Nupen of South Africa (1930-31), the New Zealander Harry Cave (1955-56), and Fazal Mahmood of Pakistan (1958-59).
Tim McIntosh of New Zealand bagged a pair in the first Test against India - but scored a hundred in the second one. How many people have followed a Test pair with a century? asked Paul Rivett from New Zealand
Tim McIntosh was actually the 17th player (but the first from New Zealand) to follow up a pair of noughts with a century in his next Test. The most famous instance was by Ian Botham, who lost the England captaincy after a pair in the Lord's Ashes Test of 1981 before turning the next Test - at Headingley - on its head with a barnstorming 149 not out. The most recent instance was also by an England player: Ravi Bopara actually followed three successive ducks (including a pair in Galle) against Sri Lanka in December 2007 with a hundred in his next Test, against West Indies in Bridgetown in February 2009. Bopara added centuries in his next two Tests as well, giving him a uniquely unbalanced sequence of 0, 0, 0, 104, 143 and 108 in successive innings. Chamara Silva of Sri Lanka is the only man to make a pair in his first Test but a century (152) in his second, in New Zealand in 2006-07.
Tim McIntosh was actually the 17th player (but the first from New Zealand) to follow up a pair of noughts with a century in his next Test. The most famous instance was by Ian Botham, who lost the England captaincy after a pair in the Lord's Ashes Test of 1981 before turning the next Test - at Headingley - on its head with a barnstorming 149 not out. The most recent instance was also by an England player: Ravi Bopara actually followed three successive ducks (including a pair in Galle) against Sri Lanka in December 2007 with a hundred in his next Test, against West Indies in Bridgetown in February 2009. Bopara added centuries in his next two Tests as well, giving him a uniquely unbalanced sequence of 0, 0, 0, 104, 143 and 108 in successive innings. Chamara Silva of Sri Lanka is the only man to make a pair in his first Test but a century (152) in his second, in New Zealand in 2006-07.
Two new grounds, in Dubai and Hyderabad, staged their first Test matches on the same day (November 12) . Has this happened before? asked Rohit Shetti from India
The Dubai International Stadium and the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal, near Hyderabad, became the 101st and 102nd grounds to stage Test cricket last week. It is indeed the first time that two new Test grounds have been christened on the same day: the nearest approach before this was one day apart in 1930, when Lancaster Park in Christchurch staged its first Test on January 10, and the first one at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, started the following day. Oddly, England were involved in both those Tests, as different touring teams were in New Zealand and the West Indies at the same time (the only occasion this has happened in Test history).
The Dubai International Stadium and the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal, near Hyderabad, became the 101st and 102nd grounds to stage Test cricket last week. It is indeed the first time that two new Test grounds have been christened on the same day: the nearest approach before this was one day apart in 1930, when Lancaster Park in Christchurch staged its first Test on January 10, and the first one at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, started the following day. Oddly, England were involved in both those Tests, as different touring teams were in New Zealand and the West Indies at the same time (the only occasion this has happened in Test history).
Who was the youngest Test captain of all? And who was India's youngest? asked Sandeep Rajgopal via Facebook
The youngest man to captain his side in a Test match is Tatenda Taibu, who was a week short of his 21st birthday when he skippered Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in Harare in September 2004. The youngest Indian is the man whose record Taibu took: the junior Nawab of Pataudi (later Mansur Ali Khan) was 21 years 77 days old when he led for the first time in a Test, in Bridgetown in 1961-62, after the injury that sidelined India's tour captain Nari Contractor. For a full list of the youngest Test captains, click here.
The youngest man to captain his side in a Test match is Tatenda Taibu, who was a week short of his 21st birthday when he skippered Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in Harare in September 2004. The youngest Indian is the man whose record Taibu took: the junior Nawab of Pataudi (later Mansur Ali Khan) was 21 years 77 days old when he led for the first time in a Test, in Bridgetown in 1961-62, after the injury that sidelined India's tour captain Nari Contractor. For a full list of the youngest Test captains, click here.
Tanvir Ahmed, who took six wickets on debut for Pakistan, was born in Kuwait. Is he the first Test cricketer born there, and has anyone bettered his debut figures for Pakistan? asked Bashir Ahmed from Lahore
To take the second part of your question first, Tanvir Ahmed's 6 for 120 against South Africa last week in the first Test ever played in Abu Dhabi has been bettered on debut for Pakistan by only three other bowlers. Fast bowler Mohammad Zahid took 7 for 66 against New Zealand in Rawalpindi in 1996-97, while offspinner Mohammad Nazir (who later became a Test umpire) took 7 for 99 against New Zealand in Karachi in 1969-70. And before them Arif Butt, another fast bowler, took 6 for 89 on debut against Australia at Melbourne in 1964-65. Tanvir is actually the second Test cricketer to have first seen the light of day in Kuwait: Shakeel Ahmed, a left-arm spinner who was born there in 1966, played one Test for Pakistan, against Australia in Karachi in 1998-99, taking 4 for 91 in the second innings. He is sometimes shown as "Shakeel Ahmed senior" on scorecards, to distinguish him from an unrelated Shakeel Ahmed (born in 1971), who won three Test caps for Pakistan between 1993 and 1995.
To take the second part of your question first, Tanvir Ahmed's 6 for 120 against South Africa last week in the first Test ever played in Abu Dhabi has been bettered on debut for Pakistan by only three other bowlers. Fast bowler Mohammad Zahid took 7 for 66 against New Zealand in Rawalpindi in 1996-97, while offspinner Mohammad Nazir (who later became a Test umpire) took 7 for 99 against New Zealand in Karachi in 1969-70. And before them Arif Butt, another fast bowler, took 6 for 89 on debut against Australia at Melbourne in 1964-65. Tanvir is actually the second Test cricketer to have first seen the light of day in Kuwait: Shakeel Ahmed, a left-arm spinner who was born there in 1966, played one Test for Pakistan, against Australia in Karachi in 1998-99, taking 4 for 91 in the second innings. He is sometimes shown as "Shakeel Ahmed senior" on scorecards, to distinguish him from an unrelated Shakeel Ahmed (born in 1971), who won three Test caps for Pakistan between 1993 and 1995.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Cricinfo Guide to International Cricket. And Ask Steven is now on Facebook