The most lbws in a Test, and the most runs too

Irfan Pathan claimed seven lbws in the recent first Test against Bangladesh. Is that a Test record? asked Anshuman Sinha

Pathan's performance in that Test at Dhaka was the fourth time that a bowler had claimed seven lbw victims in the same Test - the others to do it are the distinguished trio of Richard Hadlee, Abdul Qadir and Waqar Younis. But the record is eight, which has happened twice - by Mohammad Zahid, on his Test debut for Pakistan against New Zealand at Rawalpindi in 1996-97, and Sri Lanka's Chaminda Vaas, against West Indies in Colombo in 2001-02.

What is the most runs scored by a single player in a Test match? asked Sam Hartmann from Australia

Three players have reached the 400-run mark in a Test match. Brian Lara made all of his in one innings - the Test-record 400 not out for West Indies against England at St John's in 2003-04. Australia's Mark Taylor made 426 runs - 334 not out and 92 - against Pakistan at Peshawar in 1998-99. But the record at the moment is held by Graham Gooch, who scored 333 and 123 for England against India at Lord's in 1990. For a full list of those who have scored 300 or more in a single Test, click here.

I see that there is a difference of more than seven years since Justin Langer's most recent Test and his most recent ODI. Has anyone gone longer than this? asked Greg Cohen

Justin Langer, who played the most recent of his eight ODIs against England at Lord's in 1997, is actually second on this list. Well clear on top, with a gap of almost 12 and a half years between his most recent ODI (in New Zealand in 1990-91) and his last Test (against South Africa at The Oval in 2003), is England's Martin Bicknell. Just behind Langer is Matthew Elliott, whose most-recent ODI was the same one as Langer's in 1997, and who last played a Test in July 2004. Turning the question around Norman Gifford of England played his last ODI in 1984-85, almost 12 years after his final Test match, which was in 1973.

I read that Glenn McGrath scored a duck on both his Test and ODI debuts. Have any other "batsmen" achieved this feat? asked Damian Robb

A total of 14 people have collected this unfortunate double. Most of them, as you'd probably expect, are bowlers like Glenn McGrath: Bishan Bedi of India, England's Joey Benjamin (who never did score an international run of any kind), the Sri Lankan Ajit de Silva, Mushtaq Ahmed of Pakistan, and the Zimbabweans Eddo Brandes and Gavin Ewing. Representing the allrounders is Ijaz Faqih of Pakistan, alongside the recent New Zealand wicketkeeper Robbie Hart. That leaves out-and-out batsmen in Kris Srikkanth of India, South Africa's Andrew Hudson (who did manage 163 in the other innings of his Test debut), Alester Maregwede of Zimbabwe, and a brace of Sri Lankans in Susil Fernando and Athula Samarasekera.

How many ducks did Greg Chappell collect when he was in that terrible form slump? asked Doug Herning from Australia

Greg Chappell's ordinary run of form came in 1981-82, when in the course of the Australian season he collected seven ducks - three in Tests and four in ODIs - in a total of 25 international innings. The run did also include a score of 201 in a Test against Pakistan, so it wasn't all bad news - but it was enough to earn him the temporary nickname of "Chappello". This was a jokey reference to his brother, Ian Chappell, who was usually known as "Chappelli" because that's the way his name appeared on Australian scoreboards (CHAPPELL I) when his brother played.

South Africa's Charl Langeveldt took five wickets on his Test debut against England. Is he the first bowler to achieve this feat? asked Bryan Yarde

Taking five wickets in an innings on Test debut is not actually that rare a feat - Langeveldt's 5 for 46 at Cape Town was the 128th instance (by 119 different bowlers) in Test history. It was also the 14th by a South African against England on Test debut, the best being 7 for 63 by Alf Hall - who was actually born in Lancashire - at Cape Town in 1922-23. The best figures by anyone in their first Test were Albert Trott's 8 for 43 for Australia against England at Adelaide in 1894-95, just ahead of another Ashes performance - Bob Massie's 8 for 53 for Australia at Lord's in 1972 (that followed his 8 for 84 in the first innings of that match).