Seven men over 50, and most tons in a series

The regular Monday column in which Steven Lynch answers your questions about (almost) any aspect of cricket:

Abdul Razzaq was one of seven fifty-plus scorers in Pakistan's recent victory over India © Getty Images

Pakistan's top seven all passed 50 in the final Test against India - is this unique? asked Nishant Bhargava from the USA (and many others)

Pakistan's feat at Karachi is indeed unique: in fact there has only been one other instance of a Test innings containing seven scores of 50 or more, by England against Australia at Old Trafford in 1934, and that didn't involve the top seven in the batting order. There were three previous occasions when the top six batsmen all passed 50: by England against West Indies at Kingston in 1929-30 (the No. 7, England's captain Freddie Gough-Calthorpe, made 5); by Pakistan v India at Lahore in 1989-90 (this was a near-miss, with No. 7 Abdul Qadir being 39 not out when Imran Khan declared at 699 for 5), and by India against Australia at Kolkata in 1997-98 (another near-miss: Mohammad Azharuddin declared with the No. 7 Nayan Mongia on 30 not out).

Was the total of 15 centuries by Pakistan and India a record for a three-Test series? asked Rob Steen

Fifteen centuries in the recent series equalled the record for a three-Test rubber, set in 1990 when England made nine and India six. But Pakistan's ten centuries is a new record for one side in any three-Test series. The overall record for any Test series is 21 centuries, in five Tests between West Indies (who made nine) and Australia (12) in 1954-55. Pakistan also scored 12 tons in six Tests against India in 1982-83, and South Africa matched that in only four Tests at home against West Indies in 2003-04.

In a quiz this week we were asked "Who was the first Englishman to be stranded for 99 in a one-day international?" The answer given was Geoff Boycott - I know he was once stranded on 99 in Tests, but was he also the first in an ODI?? asked Darryll le Geyt

Yes, Geoff Boycott was the first player to make 99 in any one-day international - against Australia at The Oval in 1980. He wasn't exactly "stranded", I suppose, since he was out: the first man to make 99 not out in an ODI was Bruce Edgar of New Zealand, against India at Auckland in 1980-81. You're right that Boycott really was stranded on 99 not out in a Test match - against Australia at Perth in 1979-80 - he was the first to suffer that fate in a Test, although it's happened four times since. For a full list of batsmen who have scored 99 in an ODI, click here.

I believe that Nilesh Kulkarni of India captured his first Test wicket with the first ball he bowled. Is he the only bowler to achieve this? asked Subash Kumar from India

Nilesh Kulkarni, a slow left-armer from Mumbai, was actually the 12th bowler to achieve this: there has been one since, Chamila Gamage Lakshitha of Sri Lanka, against Bangladesh in Colombo in 2002. Kulkarni's was a remarkable debut: after taking the wicket of Marvan Atapattu with his first ball in the first Test in Colombo in 1997, he toiled through 69.5 overs without taking another one, finishing with 1 for 176 as Sri Lanka piled up the Test-record total of 952 for 6. Kulkarni only played one more Test, more than three years later. There was a gap of more than 31 years between the 10th instance, by Intikhab Alam of Pakistan, and the 11th, by Richard Illingworth of England in 1991. For a full list, click here.

Sunil Gavaskar enjoyed a good run against West Indies, cracking his highest Test score at Madras © Getty Images

Apparently only two men scored double-centuries against West Indies in the 1980s - who were they? asked Sameen from India

The two batsmen who defied the awesome West Indian pace attack of the '80s were Sunil Gavaskar and Dean Jones. Gavaskar made 236 not out for India at Madras in 1983-84, after he'd dropped down the order to No. 4 after a run of low scores. It didn't make much difference: he had to come in at 0 for 2 after two early strikes from Malcolm Marshall, and made his highest Test score. It was the only time Gavaskar ever batted at No. 4 in a Test. Jones made 216 - his highest Test score too - for Australia at Adelaide in 1988-89.

If Don Bradman's Test career had never resumed after the Second World War, would his final batting average have been over 100? asked Lance Young from New Zealand

Rather surprisingly - considering he was 38 when he resumed playing - Don Bradman actually improved his Test average after the Second World War. It stood at 97.94 at the end of the 1938 series in England, and his final mark was, famously, 99.94. In 15 Tests after the war, ten of them against England, Bradman averaged 105.72. You can see his "rolling" average if you click here. Bradman also holds the record for the most Test centuries in any country, with 18 in Australia, although that mark is under threat from Matthew Hayden (17) and Ricky Ponting (16). Sachin Tendulkar has scored 16 in India, and Brian Lara 16 in the West Indies. Greg Chappell also scored 16 Test centuries in Australia, and Sunil Gavaskar made 16 in India.