How many times have both openers been stumped in the same innings of a Test?
And what are the best figures by a left-arm spinner?
Before Kuldeep Yadav's 6 for 25, the best ODI figures by a left-arm spinner were 6 for 27 by Murali Kartik, against Australia in Mumbai in 2007 • AFP
That mesmerising 6 for 25 by Kuldeep Yadav against England at Trent Bridge last week weren't just the best figures by a left-arm wristspinner in a one-day international - they were the best figures by a slow left-armer of any sort. The previous record was held by another Indian, the more orthodox Murali Kartik, who took 6 for 27 against Australia in Mumbai in 2007. Sanath Jayasuriya, with 6 for 29 for Sri Lanka against England in Moratuwa in 1992-93, is the only other slow left-armer to take six wickets in an ODI. The previous-best by a left-arm wristspinner was Brad Hogg's 5 for 32 for Australia against West Indies in Melbourne in 2004-05.
Niroshan Dickwella's double stumping of Dean Elgar and Aiden Markram as South Africa slid to defeat in Galle on the weekend was only the sixth time that both openers had been stumped in the same Test innings. The first instance was back in 1881-82, when Dick Barlow and George Ulyett of England were stumped by Australia's Jack Blackham in Melbourne.
Dickie Bird stood in 54 Tests in England, most of them before the globe-trotting international umpires' panel was set up: in all, he stood in 66 matches. Frank Chester officiated in 48 Tests between 1924 and 1955, all of them in England.
The stand you're talking about was between Grant Stewart, who zoomed to a maiden hundred, and Ivan Thomas, who contributed just a single as Kent's last wicket added 100 against Middlesex in Canterbury. Stewart had just taken a career-best 6 for 22 as Middlesex were shot out for 56; his previous-highest score in first-class cricket was 38, in the first innings of the same match.
Lawrence Rowe marked his Test debut, for West Indies against New Zealand in Kingston in 1971-72, with 214 in the first innings and 100 not out in the second. The only other man to score more than 300 runs on his Test debut was Reginald "Tip" Foster, with 306 - innings of 287 and 19 - for England against Australia in Sydney in 1903-04. Rowe's record came under threat a few years ago when Yasir Hameed scored 170 and 105 in his first Test for Pakistan, against Bangladesh in Karachi in August 2003.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes