Under Misbah-ul-Haq's captaincy, Pakistan have a 11-2 win-loss record in
Tests in the UAE and Bangladesh, but a 2-6 record outside of those
countries and Zimbabwe
Pakistan have notched up some fine wins under Misbah-ul-Haq's
leadership, but they haven't yet achieved consistent results outside the
UAE
With victory in the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi, Misbah-ul-Haq became the winningest captain for Pakistan
in Tests - that was his 15th triumph, which took him past Imran Khan
and Javed Miandad's mark of 14 each. While Imran led in 48 Tests and
achieved 14 wins, Miandad was captain in 34. Misbah, though, has needed
only 32 Tests to win 15, which means his win percentage is better than
that of the other two, though Miandad lost only six Tests to Misbah's
nine, which means the win-loss ratio is more impressive for Miandad.
Both Imran and Miandad led Pakistan through a phenomenal period in the
1980s and early 1990s, when Pakistan consistently challenged all the top
teams in all conditions. Unlike those two, who swapped captaincy duties
over a 12-year period, Misbah has had a more settled stint at the top,
leading Pakistan in 32 Tests
in just four years. Miandad's 34 Tests as captain, on the other hand,
stretched almost 13 years, from February 1980 to January 1993. Imran
captained in 48 Tests
(excluding an abandoned game) over a ten-year period, which works out
to an average of only four Tests a year. Misbah has had a more settled
run, and while Pakistan haven't necessarily been consistent during his
four years as leader, they've racked up some great results recently,
winning three in a row against Australia and New Zealand.
While Imran and Miandad straddled the 1980s, and the Misbah era started
in 2010, the 1990s and the 2000s also had a dominant leader in each
decade: Wasim Akram led 25 times in the 1990s, achieving a 12-8 win-loss record, while Inzamam-ul-Haq was dominant in the 2000s, captaining in 31 Tests
and achieving a 11-11 record. During the Akram period, the captaincy
musical chairs involved Waqar Younis, who achieved a 10-7 record in 17 Tests; Pakistan didn't draw a single Test when he was captain.
Pakistan's most successful captains in Tests
Captain
Tests
W/ L
Draws
W/ L Ratio
Bat ave
Bowl ave
Misbah-ul-Haq
2010-2014
32
15/ 9
8
1.66
37.01
30.37
Imran Khan
1982-1992
48
14/ 8
26
1.75
36.19
30.79
Javed Miandad
1980-1993
34
14/ 6
14
2.33
32.67
27.40
Wasim Akram
1993-1999
25
12/ 8
5
1.50
30.96
29.10
Inzamam-ul-Haq
2001-2007
31
11/ 11
9
1.00
36.07
37.71
Over the last four years, Misbah has captained in 13 Test series
(excluding the one-off Test against Zimbabwe, and the ongoing series
against New Zealand), and Pakistan have lost only twice when he has led
through the entire series - in South Africa in 2013, and in Sri Lanka
earlier this year. (Misbah also captained in two out of three Tests in Sri Lanka
in 2012, but Pakistan drew those and lost the only Test when he didn't
lead.) They've drawn five series and won five, including series
whitewashes against England and Australia.
However, while the overall numbers are impressive, under Misbah Pakistan
have achieved most of their successes when playing in the UAE: in 16 Tests
there, Pakistan have won nine and lost two - against South Africa and
Sri Lanka. Add two more wins each in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and it
emerges that Pakistan haven't won a whole lot in other countries, when
conditions are more seam-friendly and aren't so favourable for batting.
In Tests played outside the UAE, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, Misbah's
Pakistan have a 2-6 win-loss record, with one victory each in New
Zealand and the West Indies. Apart from those results, they've lost
three out of three in South Africa, and two out of four in Sri Lanka.
In more favourable conditions Misbah's team have been a formidable
opponent for the even the best teams in the world, but in more
unfamiliar conditions they haven't been as good as some of the other
Pakistan teams of the past. Under Imran,
Pakistan had a 5-6 win-loss record outside home, with wins in England,
West Indies and India. The 1-0 series win in India was one of the
highlights, but undoubtedly the biggest achievement of that Pakistan
team was the number of riveting series they had against West Indies, who
were undoubtedly the best team of that era. Twice in Pakistan - in 1986-87, and in 1990-91 - the two teams played out a 1-1 draw, while the series in the West Indies in 1987-88 also had the same scoreline.
It's also noticeable that in the period when Imran was captain, Pakistan
played many more matches and series outside the comforts of their home
environ. Imran always wanted to mould his team into one which would be
champions under all conditions, and in that period they were a
formidable, all-round team in different conditions, next only to West
Indies.
In the period when Miandad was captain, Pakistan again played plenty in
home conditions. However, they still did fairly well overseas, beating
England 2-1 in 1992.
Captaincy records in all countries excluding Pak, UAE, B'desh, Zim
Captain
Tests
W/ L
W/ L ratio
Bat ave
Bowl ave
Misbah-ul-Haq
11
2/ 6
0.33
29.98
31.37
Imran Khan
26
5/ 6
0.83
33.08
33.10
Javed Miandad
12
4/ 5
0.80
28.91
30.82
Wasim Akram
16
6/ 8
0.75
27.80
32.43
Inzamam-ul-Haq
17
5/ 8
0.62
31.63
36.86
In home conditions, all three of those captains have impressive records.
In the UAE and Bangladesh, Misbah's Pakistan have an impressive 11-2
win-loss record, and have beaten most of the top teams there. Even
without the services of Saeed Ajmal, they thrashed Australia 2-0 and won
the first Test of the three-match series against New Zealand. And when
Ajmal was available, they destroyed England 3-0 in 2012.
Compared to the home numbers, the glaring difference in the away stats
is in the batting averages. There's little to choose between the bowling
averages home and away, but the batting average drops from 43.72 in the
UAE and Bangladesh, to 29.98 when they play in other countries
(excluding Zimbabwe). The recent two-Test series against Australia was
marked by some huge scores by Pakistan's top order - there were nine
centuries in two games - but overseas the batsmen have failed to achieve
the same consistency, though the bowlers have achieved similar results.
Misbah's team is on an incredible run and have notched up some superb
results, but in terms of overall results and consistency, they're still
some way from Imran's team of the 1980s and early 1990s.
Captaincy records in Pakistan, UAE, and Bangladesh
Played at
Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur (neutral venue)
2 March 2014 - day/night (50-over match)
Ashwin to Shahid Afridi,
SIX,goes again and he has cleared the long-on boundary! Afridi haswon it for Pakistan!
This was off a leading edge, it looked like it was going to be
swallowed at long-on but Afridi's power takes this over the ropes. And
to make this even more memorable, he inadvertently kisses Junaid Khan on
the cheek!
Javed Miandad celebrates after winning the match with a six off the last
ball, Pakistan v India, Austral-Asia Cup final, Sharjah, 18 April, 1986
Stats highlights from the thriller between Pakistan and India at Mirpur, Dhaka
Shahid Afridi is the only batsman in ODIs to hit 50 or more sixes against two teams
Report : Afridi sixes seal final-over victory
Players/Officials:
Mohammad Hafeez
| Shahid Afridi
Matches:
India v Pakistan at Dhaka
Series/Tournaments:
Asia Cup
Teams:
India
| Pakistan
The margin of victory in this match was the second-closest, by
wickets remaining, in matches involving Pakistan and India. The famous Sharjah match in which Javed Miandad hit a six off the last ball is the closest between the two teams. Click here for ODIs with the slimmest margin of wins in terms of wickets remaining.
Before this match Pakistan had lost the last five ODIs in
which they were required to chase 240 or more. Since 2011, this is only
the fourth time that Pakistan have successfully chased 240 or more in an ODI from 17 attempts.
Mohammad Hafeez won the 14th Man-of-the-Match award of his career and his fifth since 2013. Only Virat Kohli has won more such awards in ODIs since 2013.
Shahid Afridi sealed the match for Pakistan with two sixes
in the last over off R Ashwin. The six he hit to win this match was his
50th against India in ODIs. He is the only player
to hit 50 or more sixes against two oppositions in ODIs. His 63 sixes
against Sri Lanka are the highest by a batsman against any opposition.
Sanath Jayasuriya, with 53 sixes against Pakistan, is the only other
batsman in ODIs with fifty or more sixes against an opposition.
Hafeez made an all-round contribution in Pakistan's win in
this match. Apart from scoring 75 runs, he took two wickets and also
held two catches. This was just the sixth instance
of a Pakistan player hitting fifty-plus runs, taking two or more
wickets and effecting two or more fielding dismissals in ODIs. The last
such instance was by Shoaib Malik against Zimbabwe in Faisalabad in 2008.
Hafeez and Shoaib Maqsood added 87 runs for the fifth
wicket for Pakistan after they had lost three quick wickets to slump to
117 for 4. This partnership equalled the seventh-highest for Pakistan for the fifth wicket in successful chases against Test nations. Including this one, Pakistan's last-four partnerships
of 87 or more runs for the fifth wicket in a successful chase against a
Test nation have come against India. The last such partnership for
Pakistan was between Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan in Mohali in 2007.
Ravindra Jadeja's half-century in this match was his ninth
in ODIs and his first in four innings against Pakistan. This was
Jadeja's 100th ODI. He has scored 1541 at 33.50 from 68 innings and has
taken 116 wickets at 33.44. His fifty in this match was only the eighth by an India No. 7 against Pakistan in ODIs.
Ambati Rayudu hit his second ODI fifty in this match and
his first in eight innings. Rayudu has scored 243 runs at 40.50 in eight
innings.
Pakistan's openers, helped by some ordinary bowling by
India's fast bowlers, added 71 runs before Sharjeel Khan was bowled by R
Ashwin. Their openers haven't had a century partnership in 37 innings.
The last time Pakistan's openers added 100 or more runs was against India in Kolkata in January 2013. Since then, in 37 innings, the openers have averaged 26.44 runs per partnership and have added fifty or more runs eight times.
Kohli scored only five runs before he was caught behind off Umar Gul. In his last Asia Cup match
against Pakistan Kohli had scored 183 runs off 148 balls to chase down a
target of 330. Excluding that match, from eight innings, Kohli has
managed to score just 83 runs at 11.86 against Pakistan in ODIs.
In the last 12 months, Kumar Sangakkara has scored 1235 runs from 13
innings in all international cricket against Bangladesh, including 940
from seven innings in Tests
For anyone who has followed international cricket
over the last 12 months, that's a pretty easy one - that's the sequence
of scores that Kumar Sangakkara has racked up in Tests against Bangladesh
since March 2013. Add up those numbers, and the total reads 940 runs
from seven innings, at an average of 134.28, with five hundreds and two
fifties. As if that wasn't enough, he also went ahead and plundered 247 ODI runs
at a run a ball in four innings against them during this period. Bring
in the Twenty20 international runs as well, and it all adds up to a
pretty impressive 1235 runs for him from 13 international innings
against Bangladesh since March 2013 - an average of 95 runs per innings,
and 103 runs per month. The next best aggregate during this period is Dinesh Chandimal's 504.
All those runs have added healthy amounts to Sangakkara's overall international aggregate. In Tests, he has scored 1816 runs from 15 Tests against Bangladesh, 670 more than the second highest. (The top three,
incidentally, are all from Sri Lanka, and they are also the only ones
to score 1000-plus against Bangladesh in Tests.) In all international
cricket, Sangakkara's tally against Bangladesh is 2983 from 50 innings,
1229 more than the next highest.
It's obviously a flaw of the cricketing calendar that Bangladesh tend to
play some teams more than others. Among the top sides, Sri Lanka is the
one team Bangladesh have played more than any other: they've played
each other 16 times in Tests, and 56 times in all international matches;
Bangladesh v Australia, on the other hand, has happened only four times
in Tests, and 25 times in all international matches.
Sri Lankan players have benefited, and Sangakkara more than most, for
he has consistently converted his starts and scored centuries against
them, as reflected in his stats from the last 12 months.
Sangakkara has also scored well when he has played Zimbabwe, though that
hasn't happened as often - he has 536 runs from five Tests, at an
average of 89.33. Overall 21% of his Test runs have been scored against
these two teams. Sangakkara has obviously scored heavily against other
teams too, but this percentage is unusually high when compared to
batsmen from other teams. Graeme Smith, for example, has scored less
than 10% of his runs against those two teams. Six of the of the top 12
run-getters against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are from Sri Lanka, and most
of them have scored a very high percentage of their total runs against
them.
Top run-getters in Tests v B'desh and Zim since 2000
Batsman
Tests
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
Tot runs*
Percentage*
Kumar Sangakkara
20
2352
94.08
9/ 8
11,151
21.09
Sachin Tendulkar
13
1635
116.78
8/ 2
10,080
16.22
Mahela Jayawardene
18
1450
76.31
6/ 4
10,386
13.96
Rahul Dravid
15
1377
86.06
5/ 6
10,590
13.00
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
16
1020
60.00
4/ 2
8985
11.35
Tillakaratne Dilshan
13
1018
67.86
4/ 4
5283
19.27
Chris Gayle
14
933
49.10
3/ 3
6933
13.46
Younis Khan
10
929
77.41
3/ 3
7399
12.56
Graeme Smith
10
905
82.27
4/ 1
9257
9.78
Sanath Jayasuriya
10
878
79.81
3/ 3
4222
20.79
Thilan Samaraweera
13
854
71.16
2/ 7
5462
15.63
Marvan Atapattu
9
853
94.77
4/ 1
4055
21.03
* All runs scored since 2000 only
Unlike some of the other Sri Lankan batsmen, though, Sangakkara has
gained respect and recognition from opposition bowlers across the world
for his ability to play and score runs in different conditions.
Splitting his career into three parts, it's clear that the last ten
years have been phenomenally prolific - he has averaged 62 during this
period, with plenty of runs at home against all opposition, and plenty
of runs against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. He hasn't had as much success
in South Africa and England, but his record in Australia compares
favourably with the best: six 50-plus scores in ten innings, and an average of 60.33.
However, Sri Lanka have always struggled to get enough Test matches
outside the subcontinent, which spoils the chances for a batsman like
Sangakkara to enhance his stature as a truly great, all-weather batsman.
Over a career that has already stretched more than 13 years, he has played six Tests in Bangladesh, but only five in Australia.
Kumar Sangakkara's Test career
Overall
At home
v B'desh & Zim
In Aus, SA, Eng
Period
Tests
Average
Tests
Ave
Tests
Average
Tests
Average
Till Dec 2003
33
46.65
22
46.73
5
64.00
8
33.13
2004-2008
44
60.57
22
71.46
10
96.90
6
51.83
Jan 2009 onwards
45
63.31
23
69.97
5
111.00
8
34.40
Career
122
58.07
67
63.27
20
94.08
22
38.92
As mentioned earlier, Sangakkara has averaged 62 over the last ten
years, which is incredible considering the period over which he has
maintained those high standards. Excluding Bangladesh and Zimbabwe
during this period, Sangakkara's average drops to a still-impressive
55.62, next only to Jacques Kallis and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Highest averages for batsmen since Jan 2004 (Qual: 5000 runs)
Batsman
Tests
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
Kumar Sangakkara
89
8865
61.99
31/ 32
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
83
6742
59.14
20/ 33
Jacques Kallis
93
8136
58.95
32/ 32
Younis Khan
61
5719
57.76
18/ 19
AB de Villiers
91
7111
52.28
19/ 35
Sachin Tendulkar
90
6957
51.91
20/ 32
Hashim Amla
75
6135
51.55
21/ 27
Michael Hussey
79
6235
51.52
19/ 29
Mahela Jayawardene
89
7442
50.97
23/ 27
Michael Clarke
104
8079
50.81
26/ 27
When talk of the greatest current batsmen crops up, Sangakkara is
usually in the mix, along with a few others, prominent among them being
AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Michael Clarke and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
All of them feature prominently in the table below, which lists the
batsmen with the highest averages against all teams, with a 2500-run
cut-off. Sangakkara is second in the list, next only to AB de Villiers, who has averaged 65.19 during this period.
Highest averages for Test batsmen since Jan 2009 (Qual: 2500 runs)
Batsman
Tests
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
AB de Villiers
43
3977
65.19
12/ 20
Kumar Sangakkara
45
4685
63.31
18/ 18
Hashim Amla
42
3932
60.49
15/ 16
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
39
3016
59.13
9/ 12
Jacques Kallis
39
3342
56.64
15/ 8
Younis Khan
31
2583
56.15
8/ 8
Thilan Samaraweera
35
2758
53.03
7/ 13
Michael Clarke
61
5195
52.47
17/ 15
Rahul Dravid
33
2779
52.43
10/ 10
Sachin Tendulkar
44
3492
52.11
10/ 17
Unlike Sangakkara, though, de Villiers hasn't played a whole lot against
Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and hasn't done particularly well against them
either. He has played only six Tests against them - all before 2009 -
and scored 214 runs at an average of 35.67. That means his average in
the last five years excluding Tests against these two teams remains 65.19,
from 43 Tests, while Sangakkara's drops to 56.70, which is still
outstanding. During these last five years, Sangakkara scored 999 runs
from five Tests against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, again the highest by far. (In his case, all five Tests were against Bangladesh.)
Best Test batsmen since Jan 2009, excl. B'desh and Zim (Qual: 2000 runs)
Batsman
Tests
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
AB de Villiers
43
3977
65.19
12/ 20
Hashim Amla
42
3932
60.49
15/ 16
Kumar Sangakkara
40
3686
56.70
13/ 15
Jacques Kallis
39
3342
56.64
15/ 8
Thilan Samaraweera
34
2662
53.24
7/ 12
Michael Clarke
61
5195
52.47
17/ 15
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
33
2402
52.21
6/ 11
It's clear that Sangakkara and de Villiers are among the top batsmen
going around today, but a break-up of the numbers indicate de Villiers
has been more consistent so far in terms of stats in different
countries. His career summary
shows he averages more than 43 in every country where he has played at
least three Tests; in Asia he averages 65.09, and he does better away
than at home.
Sangakkara, though, has a few areas he'll want to improve on. In nine Tests in England, he averages 30.58; in eight matches in South Africa, he average 35.75. Surprisingly, he hasn't been prolific in India either, averaging 36.50 from ten Tests.
An overall average of 38.92 in Australia, England and South Africa is
respectable, but Sangakkara will want it to go beyond 40, or even 45,
like some of the top batsmen from the subcontinent. Sachin Tendulkar
averaged 51.64 in these three countries, Rahul Dravid 45.88.
In three previous tours to England, Sangakkara never managed to average
40 in a series - his highest was 38.50, in 2006. Now in the form of his
life, the tour to England later this year presents an excellent
opportunity for him to set the numbers right.
Mohammad
Shami has been among the wickets in overseas ODIs For India, but he has
leaked 25 boundaries in 108 balls in the slog overs
All aspects of India's bowling have been a
shambles in recent ODIs, be it pace or spin, bowling with the new ball
or in the slog overs
With
just a year to go for the 2015 World Cup, India's performances in their
last two ODI series have caused plenty of concern. On the tour to South Africa
earlier this season, they were thrashed in two games and might well
have lost the third as well if not for the weather; their three defeats in New Zealand
have been by smaller margins, but that isn't any consolation for a team
that started this tour as the No. 1 side in the world. India will go
into the 2015 World Cup as the defending champions, but based on their
recent record they'll not be favourites, especially because the
tournament will be held in Australia and New Zealand.
Since their 2011 World Cup win, India's overall ODI record looks
impressive: 43 wins, 26 losses in 75 matches, for a win-loss ratio of
1.65, the best among all teams
during this period. However, their overall numbers hide their poor
record in Australia, New Zealand, England and South Africa during this
period. Despite the win in the Champions Trophy
in England last year - a tournament in which they achieved a clean 5-0
win-loss record - India's stats in these countries since 2011 is eight
wins and 12 losses, and a win-loss ratio of 0.66. Five teams, including
Sri Lanka, have a better win-loss ratio in these countries during this
period.
On the other hand, when not playing in those countries, India have been unstoppable, winning 35 and losing 14, easily the best win-loss ratio
among all teams. However, their record in Australia, New Zealand,
England and South Africa will worry them, given that they also don't
have too much time to set things right.
The table below shows that India's batting average drops to 32.65 when
playing in these four countries, from 40.79 everywhere else. However,
India's batting run rate is marginally higher in these four countries -
5.58 to 5.53. The bowlers, though, have struggled to keep the runs down,
conceding 5.67 runs per over in these countries, up from 5.22
everywhere else. When compared with other teams
who've played in these four countries during this period, India's
record is worse than all teams except West Indies, who've gone at 5.72 to the over.
India's ODI record since the 2011 World Cup
Matches
W/ L
Ratio
Bat ave/ RR
Bowl ave/ ER
In Aus, Eng, NZ, SA
25
8/ 12
0.66
32.65/ 5.58
36.61/ 5.67
In other countries
50
35/ 14
2.50
40.79/ 5.53
31.19/ 5.22
ODI records of teams in Aus, Eng, NZ and SA since the 2011 World Cup
Team
Matches
Won
Lost
Ratio
England
41
22
15
1.46
New Zealand
26
14
10
1.40
Australia
40
21
16
1.31
South Africa
34
17
14
1.21
Sri Lanka
30
13
15
0.86
India
25
8
12
0.66
Pakistan
11
4
7
0.57
West Indies
14
3
10
0.30
MS Dhoni has often complained about his lack of bowling options overseas
where the pitches are truer and don't offer much turn, and the numbers
below bear out his complaint. India's bowlers - both pace and spin -
have fared much worse in Australia, England, New Zealand and South
Africa than in other countries. In those four countries, the fast
bowlers have averaged almost 40 runs per wicket and six per over; in
other countries both their averages and the economy rates are better.
The wicket-taking ability of the spinners takes a major hit in these
countries - best illustrated by R Ashwin's recent struggles - as the
average goes up from 30 to 44. The lack of wickets usually means
opposition teams have more wickets in hand to go after the bowling in
the slog overs.
How India's bowlers have measured up since the 2011 World Cup
Type
Wickets
Average
Econ rate
Strike rate
In Aus, Eng, NZ, SA
Pace
92
39.48
5.88
40.2
Spin
55
44.16
5.21
50.8
In other countries
Pace
184
34.90
5.41
38.7
Spin
180
30.06
4.78
37.6
Admittedly, spin bowling in those countries isn't an easy task, given
that pitches are usually true and don't turn much, but even so the stats
for Indian spinners are worse than those of any other team, both in
terms of averages and economy rates. Pakistan's spinners average almost
40, but they've conceded only 4.62 runs per over, compared with India's
5.21. England's spinners have conceded 5.06 per over - the only side
other than India to concede more than five - but they've averaged 35.18,
considerably better than India's 44.16. India's spinners have taken 55
wickets in 25 matches, but that's more a reflection of the number of
overs they've bowled per match: they've bowled about 19 per game, but
they haven't actually given the team control in terms of curbing the
runs or taking wickets.
Spinners in Aus, Eng, NZ and SA since the 2011 World Cup
Team
Matches
Wickets
Average
Econ rate
Strike rate
Pakistan
11
29
39.48
4.62
51.2
Australia
40
45
42.13
4.76
53.0
New Zealand
26
40
39.70
4.83
49.2
South Africa
34
45
40.24
4.85
49.7
Sri Lanka
30
46
43.82
4.89
53.6
West Indies
14
22
41.22
4.96
49.8
England
41
55
35.18
5.06
41.6
India
25
55
44.16
5.21
50.8
If India's spinners have less-than-flattering stats abroad, then the
fast bowlers aren't much better. When playing in Australia, New Zealand,
England and South Africa, they've averaged 39.48 runs per wicket, and
5.88 per over. In both these parameters, only West Indies have done
worse than India, averaging 43.09 per wicket and 5.93 per over. On the
other hand, the best teams are way better than India: South Africa
average 26.61 at an economy rate of 4.88; Australia average 28.36 at an
economy rate of 4.99.
Whether it's operating with the new ball in conditions that offer
something to the quick bowlers, or bowling at the death when opposition
batsmen are in search of quick runs, India's pace attack has been
equally toothless. In the first ten overs, they've conceded, on average,
4.91 runs per over and almost 40 runs per wicket, worse than all teams
except West Indies. The best in class, South Africa, are streets ahead -
they average 28.65 per wicket, and 3.99 per over. In the last ten,
India's seam attack leak 8.33 runs per over and again share the bottom
place, this time with New Zealand, whose fast bowlers do significantly
worse at the end of the innings than they do at the start. India's pace
bowlers don't take too many wickets either at the death, averaging more
than 33 per wicket. The best in class, South Africa again, concede about
half the number of runs per wicket, and only 6.20 per over.
The last column in the tables below further illustrates the proclivity
of the Indian fast bowlers to ease pressure, by frequently conceding
boundaries. In the first ten overs, they concede a four or a six every
8.58 balls - the worst of the lot - while the best in class is
Australia's 11.61. In the last ten, they concede a four or a six every
6.51 balls, worse than all teams except New Zealand. The top teams in
this category - Sri Lanka, South Africa and Australia - make the
opposition batsmen wait more than 8.5 balls per boundary. Mohammad Shami
has been the worst offender in this category, conceding 25 fours or
sixes in 108 balls in the last ten overs, an average of one every 4.32
balls. His economy rate at the death is 9.88. Ishant Sharma has had his
share of forgettable spells at the end, but overall his slog-over stats
are better: an economy rate of 7.28, and a boundary every 7.64 balls.
Umesh Yadav is similar, with an economy rate of 7.27, and a boundary
every 6.60 balls.
Fast bowlers in the first 10 overs in ODIs in Aus, NZ, Eng, SA since Apr 2011
Team
Inngs
Wickets
Average
Econ rate
Balls/4 or 6
South Africa
33
44
28.65
3.99
10.58
Pakistan
11
15
28.26
4.15
10.03
New Zealand
26
36
29.02
4.24
10.04
Australia
40
56
29.05
4.26
11.61
England
39
55
30.32
4.31
10.70
Sri Lanka
30
37
35.59
4.77
9.80
India
25
30
39.36
4.91
8.58
West Indies
14
15
40.73
4.91
8.78
Fast bowlers in the last 10 overs in ODIs in Aus, NZ, Eng, SA since Apr 2011
Team
Inngs
Wickets
Average
Econ rate
Balls/ 4 or 6
South Africa
25
49
17.59
6.20
8.60
Sri Lanka
23
42
24.80
6.70
9.61
Australia
27
63
22.34
6.94
8.82
England
30
65
23.56
7.39
7.10
Pakistan
9
10
26.60
7.86
6.15
West Indies
9
12
35.08
8.09
6.64
India
19
28
33.57
8.33
6.51
New Zealand
18
32
26.00
8.33
5.65
And finally, a look at the Indian bowlers who've sent down more than 50
overs in these four countries during this period. Whichever way you look
at it, these numbers don't make for impressive reading. The bowlers
with reasonably good economy rates average more than 40 runs per wicket;
those who average less than 30 go at about six an over or more. Umesh
Yadav, who some experts reckon should be playing in the ODIs in New
Zealand, averages almost 60 runs per wicket and goes at a run a ball. No
wonder Dhoni has been wondering aloud about his bowling options for the
2015 World Cup.
Indian bowlers in ODIs in Aus, NZ, Eng, SA since Apr 2011 (Qual: 50 overs)
Dale Steyn dismisses Mohammad Hafeez for the 10th time in 2011
Mohammad Hafeez has fallen to Dale Steyn
15 times in all international matches; in the last 12 years, no bowler
has dismissed a batsman more often
Dale Steyn dismisses Mohammad Hafeez for the 10th time in 2013
It all started on January 26, 2007. That was the first time Dale Steyn bowled to Mohammad Hafeez in an international game. It was a Test match in Cape Town,
and the first ball in their head-to-head battle was hardly a sign of
things to come: a gentle half-volley on leg stump was flicked for four;
before the end of that over, Hafeez had flicked another boundary. He
made only 10 in that innings, but was dismissed by Makhaya Ntini;
against Steyn, he'd scored eight runs off seven balls.
In the second innings of the same Test, though, Steyn had his man for
the first time, mistiming a drive to backward point, and that was the
beginning of one of the most one-sided head-to-head contests in the last
decade and more. Of the 28 times Hafeez has faced Steyn in an
international game, 15 times
he has ended up being dismissed by him. Seven of those have been
catches to the wicketkeeper or the slip cordon, and in ten of those
innings he didn't go beyond 10.
In the last 12 years (since the beginning of 2002), no batsman has been
dismissed as often in all international cricket as Hafeez by Steyn. Next
in line is another South African, but this time at the receiving end: Graeme Smith has been dismissed 13 times by Zaheer Khan
- six each in Tests and ODIs, and once in a Twenty20 international.
With Zaheer being named in India's Test squad for the tour to South
Africa next month, he'll have opportunities to add to that tally. There
are other luminaries down that list as well, with Sachin Tendulkar and
Chris Gayle both making two appearances each, and Brian Lara and
Virender Sehwag in there too. At the bottom of the table is another pair
which is currently involved in battle - Mitchell Johnson v Ian Bell.
Bell has fared poorly against Johnson so far, getting out to him ten times - six in Tests, two each in ODIs and Twenty20 internationals - at a rather poor average of 16.50.
Apart from the number of dismissals, the average for a batsman against
the bowler also indicates how dominant the bowler has been. Hafeez, for
example, has averaged a miserable 10.53 runs per dismissal against Steyn
in all the matches they've played. (This includes all games, including
those in which Steyn didn't dismiss Hafeez.) Similarly, Ashwell Prince
against Shane Warne has been a one-sided story, as has Bell-Johnson. If
Tim Bresnan recovers fully and takes part in the Ashes, England might
want to unleash him on Shane Watson, given how much success he's had against Watson.
On the other hand, some of the other batsmen haven't had such lopsided
stats, despite being dismissed by a bowler several times. Tillakaratne
Dilshan, for example, averages 34 against Harbhajan despite being
dismissed by him 12 times, which suggests he hasn't struggled too much. Similarly, Tendulkar averaged nearly 37 against Brett Lee, despite 12 dismissals; he had more problems
against James Anderson, though, averaging 29 against him. Also,
Anderson dismissed Tendulkar nine times in Tests, when batsmen are
usually not under pressure to score quickly and hence take more risks;
Lee, on the other hand, got Tendulkar seven times in ODIs.
(The averages mentioned in the tables below are the batsman v bowler
average in all the matches in which they played each other; in the
statsguru links, the averages refer to the batsman's average in all the
innings in which he was dismissed by that bowler. In statsguru, runs
scored against all bowlers in those innings are included; in the tables
below, runs scored against the particular bowler in all innings are
included.)
Bowlers who've dismissed a batsman most often in all int cricket since Jan 2002
Batsman
Bowler
Inngs
Balls
Runs
Dismissals
Average
Mohammad Hafeez
Dale Steyn
28
226
158
15
10.53
Graeme Smith
Zaheer Khan
30
402
247
13
19.00
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Harbhajan Singh
32
552
409
12
34.08
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Brett Lee
31
360
245
12
20.41
Sachin Tendulkar
James Anderson
34
544
348
12
29.00
Sachin Tendulkar
Brett Lee
41
728
441
12
36.75
Marcus Trescothick
Makhaya Ntini
26
640
382
12
31.83
Chris Gayle
James Anderson
32
397
304
11
27.63
Chris Gayle
Makhaya Ntini
22
414
312
11
28.36
Brian Lara
Andre Nel
20
413
235
11
21.36
Ashwell Prince
Shane Warne
18
466
164
11
14.90
Virender Sehwag
Brett Lee
38
468
354
11
32.18
Andrew Strauss
Brett Lee
41
655
339
11
30.81
Ross Taylor
Stuart Broad
37
415
248
11
22.54
Shane Watson
Tim Bresnan
22
323
207
11
18.81
Ian Bell
Mitchell Johnson
23
303
165
10
16.50
Coming back to the Hafeez-Steyn story, Steyn has caused the maximum
damage in Tests, and always early in the innings. In the matches in
which Steyn has played (in all formats), Hafeez averages 19.82 from 30 innings, almost ten runs lower than his career average across formats.
The first time Steyn bowled to Hafeez was in the beginning of 2007.
Since then, Hafeez has been dismissed 48 times by bowlers in Tests, of
which Steyn has done the job eight times, which means 17% of all his
dismissals in Tests in the last seven years have been at the hands of
one bowler. Against all other bowlers in Tests during this period,
Hafeez has averaged almost 36; because of the Steyn factor, though, his
overall average against all bowlers drops to less than 32. (The
dismissals count excludes run-outs.)
Steyn v Hafeez in each format
Format
Innings
Balls
Runs
Dismissals
Average
Tests
14
130
87
8
10.87
ODIs
10
84
58
5
11.60
T20Is
4
12
13
2
6.50
Overall
28
226
158
15
10.53
Hafeez v Steyn and other bowlers in Tests since 2007
Versus
Balls
Runs
Dismissals
Average
Dale Steyn
130
87
8
10.87
Others
2529
1431
40
35.78
Overall
2659
1518
48
31.62
In 2013 alone, Steyn has dismissed Hafeez ten times - four times each in
Tests and ODIs, and twice in Twenty20 internationals. Hafeez's average
against Steyn in 2013: 4.00. In the last 12 years, no batsman -
specialist or otherwise - has been dismissed by one bowler so many times
in a calendar year.
The table below lists other such instances as well, and among the
batsmen who've been bunny for a year are Lara, Gayle, Gilchrist, Sehwag
and Smith. Gayle's in the list twice, but he didn't have such a bad time
against Steve Harmison in 2004, scoring 262 runs in 291 balls. Against
Zaheer it was a different story. Lara, for some reason, couldn't fathom
Andy Bichel's bowling in 2003, while Adam Gilchrist struggled against
Andrew Flintoff's round-the-wicket line in 2005.
Three of the ten instances listed below are from 2013: apart from Steyn,
there've been two other bowlers who've utterly dominated a batsman. R
Ashwin dismissed Phil Hughes seven times in ten innings - five times in
Tests at a cost of 39 runs, and twice in ODIs conceding eight. His
average against Hughes in 2013: 6.71.
Smith has the Zaheer challenge coming up later this year, but he has
already had his problems against a bowler this year: Saeed Ajmal has
dismissed him seven times in eight innings in 2013, at an average of
15.71. Smith hasn't been so lost against Ajmal in Tests, scoring 103
runs for four dismissals, but in ODIs he has scored seven and been
dismissed three times.
Bowler dismissing a batsman most often in all international matches in a calendar year (since 2002)
Batsman
Bowler
Year
Inngs
Balls
Runs
Dismissals
Average
Mohammad Hafeez
Dale Steyn
2013
17
110
40
10
4.00
Jacob Oram
Ryan Sidebottom
2008
15
214
105
9
11.67
Chris Gayle
Steve Harmison
2004
24
291
262
7
37.42
Chris Gayle
Zaheer Khan
2002
12
158
88
7
12.57
Adam Gilchrist
Andrew Flintoff
2005
16
199
150
7
20.00
Phil Hughes
R Ashwin
2013
10
205
47
7
6.71
Brian Lara
Andy Bichel
2003
13
209
132
7
18.85
Virender Sehwag
Merv Dillon
2002
12
161
125
7
17.85
Graeme Smith
Saeed Ajmal
2013
8
202
110
7
15.71
Andrew Strauss
Nathan Hauritz
2009
9
149
72
7
10.28
Having just negotiated - not so successfully - the guiles of Ajmal,
Smith will have to prepare himself for the challenge of facing up to a
bowler who is at his best against left-handers: the four batsmen Zaheer
has dismissed most often
in Tests are all left-hand ones - Smith (13 times), Kumar Sangakkara
(11), Sanath Jayasuriya and Matthew Hayden (ten each). Smith's problems
against Zaheer, though, have been more pronounced in ODIs than in Tests,
where he averages nearly 30 against him. Zaheer hasn't been included in
the ODI squad for the tour to South Africa, which might just ease
Smith's concerns a little bit.
Mahela Jayawardene had his problems overseas, but in home conditions he
was outstanding, and for Sri Lanka he was a constant at No. 4 for 17
years
All stats have been updated to include the ongoing Sri Lanka-Pakistan Test at the SSC.
Perhaps the biggest compliment to Mahela Jayawardene
the Test cricketer is the fact that even his immense numbers don't do
full justice to the grace, skill and elegance with which he played the
game. For sure, there were weaknesses in his game, and his record across
conditions weren't as even and consistent as some of the other greats,
but even so when he was on song he played a brand of cricket that was
irresistible. And then there was Jayawardene the innovative captain,
under whom Sri Lanka won 18 Tests, the joint-highest they've won under any leader.
The stats by themselves are extremely impressive, though. Over a 17-year
Test career, Jayawardene has scored 11,814 runs, which puts him in
seventh position in the all-time list of highest aggregates in Test cricket. His 34 centuries puts him in joint sixth position, level with Sunil Gavaskar and Brian Lara. And only seven cricketers have played more Tests
than Jayawardene's 149 in their career. What's slightly jarring,
though, is a career average that is marginally short of 50: Jayawardene
needed 94 runs from two completed innings in his final Test to finish
with an average of 50, but he ended 36 short, even though he scored 54
in his last innings (which, incidentally, was his 50th Test score
between 50 and 99). Jayawardene ended with a career average of 49.84,
becoming the highest run-getter to finish with a Test average between 49 and 50. (Inzamam-ul-Haq scored 8830 runs at 49.60, while Virender Sehwag made 8586 at 49.34.)
Given the way his career has panned out, it's perhaps fitting that
Jayawardene's debut Test was one in which all sorts of batting records
were created. Sri Lanka amassed 952 for 6 against India at the Premadasa Stadium in August 1997 - the highest Test total
- and Jayawardene's modest contribution of 66 was the ninth-highest
score of the match. (Nine out of 17 players who batted in that match
scored at least 65.) The match average of 106.35 runs per wicket remains the third-highest in a Test.
Jayawardene didn't get too many in his second Test, also against India,
but the next time he played them, in the Asian Test Championship in
1999, he demonstrated his appetite for big scores, getting 242
in Sri Lanka's total of 485. (The second-highest score in the innings
was, incidentally, 66.) He had also scored 167 against New Zealand a few
months earlier, thus clearly establishing his ability to bat long
periods, an aspect that remained his strength throughout his career:
only four batsmen (Tendulkar, Lara, Bradman, Sangakkara) have more 150-plus scores than Jayawardene's 16, while three have made more double-hundreds than Jayawardene's seven.
After his first 25 Tests, Jayawardene had a healthy Test average of
44.02, but all four of his Test hundreds were at home. He came close
overseas, scoring 98
in his first Test innings in South Africa in the Boxing Day Test in
2000, but that was to remain his highest Test score - and his only
half-century - in that country: in 15 further innings, he could never go beyond 45.
Between 2001 and 2005, Jayawardene's Test average crept up to almost 50,
but his best phase in Tests was between 2006 and 2010, when he scored
15 centuries in 42 Tests,
including hundreds in Australia and England. The runs dried up between
2011 and 2013, but the last year was memorable, as Jayawardene notched
up 1003 runs at an average of 59. His aggregate is the second highest
for batsmen in their last calendar year in Test cricket - only Don
Bradman, whose last Test also started on August 14, has scored more (1025 in eight Tests at an average of 113.88, in 1948).
Mahela Jayawardene's Test career
Period
Tests
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
Till 2000
25
1673
44.02
4/ 8
Jan 2001 to Dec 2005
49
3633
49.76
9/ 19
Jan 2006 to Dec 2010
42
4221
63.95
15/ 11
Jan 2011 to Dec 2013
23
1284
29.86
3/ 7
2014
10
1003
59.00
3/ 5
Career
149
11,814
49.84
34/ 50
Most runs scored by batsmen in their last year* in Tests
Batsman
Year
Tests
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
Don Bradman
1948
8
1025
113.88
5/ 2
Mahela Jayawardene
2014
10
1003
59.00
3/ 5
Carl Hooper
2002
12
896
49.77
3/ 3
John Reid
1965
13
871
36.29
1/ 6
Darren Lehmann
2004
12
803
40.15
2/ 6
Simon Katich
2010
9
796
46.82
2/ 5
* Last calendar yearThe peak years
During the five years from the beginning of 2006 to the end of 2010,
when Jayawardene was at the peak of his game, he was clearly among the
best batsmen in the world. With a 3000-run cut-off, only Sangakkara had a
better average, and the two of them were the only batsmen with averages
of more than 60. Jayawardene's conversion rate was also outstanding:
out of 26 50-plus scores, 15 were hundreds.
Highest averages for batsmen between Jan 2006 and Dec 2010 (Qual: 3000 runs)
Batsman
Tests
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
Kumar Sangakkara
41
4422
71.32
16/ 16
Mahela Jayawardene
42
4221
63.95
15/ 11
Jacques Kallis
49
4225
56.33
16/ 17
Sachin Tendulkar
50
4209
56.12
15/ 18
Virender Sehwag
47
4350
54.37
12/ 17
VVS Laxman
50
3553
53.02
7/ 26
Michael Clarke
48
3625
51.05
12/ 16
Hashim Amla
47
3774
50.32
12/ 18
Giant at home
Perhaps the stat that stands out more than any other for Jayawardene is
his record at home: in 81 Tests in Sri Lanka, he scored 7167 runs at an
average of 59.72, with 23 hundreds; 61% of his total Test runs were
scored at home, where he played 54% of his Tests. Only two batsmen -
Tendulkar and Ponting - have scored more Test runs at home,
while Jayawardene's 23 centuries is joint-highest, with Ponting and
Jacques Kallis. However, both Kallis and Ponting have played more home
Tests than Jayawardene.
With a 4000-run cut-off, five batsmen have better averages than him, while an equal number have higher averages in home wins
than Jayawardene's 70.29 (with a 2000-run cut-off). Nineteen out of 23
times, when he scored a century in a home Test, Sri Lanka either won or
drew the game. His four centuries in losses were all small ones: 101, 104 and 105 (twice).
Highest averages in home Tests (Qual: 4000 runs)
Batsman
Tests
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
Don Bradman
33
4322
98.22
18/ 10
Garry Sobers
44
4075
66.80
14/ 12
Kumar Sangakkara
71
6552
63.61
22/ 23
Michael Clarke
52
4519
61.90
16/ 13
Javed Miandad
60
4481
61.38
14/ 17
Mahela Jayawardene
81
7167
59.72
23/ 34
Brian Lara
65
6217
58.65
17/ 26
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
76
5825
58.25
18/ 30
With such imposing numbers at home, it's hardly a surprise that he was also had some outstanding stats at home venues. In 27 Tests at the SSC in Colombo, he has scored 2921 runs at an average of 74.89; in 23 Tests in Galle, he has an aggregate of 2382 runs at 70.05 - they are the two highest aggregates
by any batsman at a venue in Test cricket. His 11 hundreds at the SSC
is also a record for a single ground - Bradman has nine at the SCG - as
is his six 150-plus scores at the venue.
Most runs at a single venue in Tests
Batsman
Ground
Tests
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
Mahela Jayawardene
SSC, Colombo
27
2921
74.89
11/ 9
Mahela Jayawardene
Galle
23
2382
70.05
7/ 12
Kumar Sangakkara
SSC, Colombo
21
2231
76.93
8/ 6
Jacques Kallis
Newlands, Cape Town
22
2181
72.70
9/ 9
Graham Gooch
Lord's
21
2015
53.02
6/ 5
Kumar Sangakkara
Galle
21
1808
54.78
7/ 7
Ricky Ponting
Adelaide Oval
17
1743
60.10
6/ 6
Don Bradman
MCG
11
1671
128.53
9/ 3
Next to Tendulkar at No. 4
In terms of aggregate, only Tendulkar scored more Test runs than him at No. 4. Jayawardene's 9509 runs
at that slot constitutes 80% of his career runs, with Kallis being the
only other player (apart from Tendulkar) to score 9000-plus runs at No.
4. The drop after that - in terms of aggregate - is steep: Lara is next
with 7535 runs. Out of the 34 centuries he has scored in his career, 30
were at No. 4 - there were two each at No. 3 and No. 5 - including a
special innings in Galle
against England in 2012, when he scored 180 out of a team total of 318;
the next-highest score in the innings was 27. The percentage of 56.6 of
the team score is the fifth-highest for Sri Lanka in a completed Test innings, and, quite fittingly, the highest in a home Test.
Most runs at No. 4 in Tests
Batsman
Inngs
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
Sachin Tendulkar
275
13,492
54.40
44/ 58
Mahela Jayawardene
195
9509
52.24
30/ 35
Jacques Kallis
170
9033
61.86
35/ 36
Brian Lara
148
7535
51.25
24/ 31
Javed Miandad
140
6925
54.10
19/ 31
Mark Waugh
170
6662
42.43
16/ 39
Kevin Pietersen
139
6490
48.43
19/ 27
Gundappa Viswanath
124
5081
43.05
12/ 31
Inzamam-ul-Haq
98
4867
52.90
15/ 21
Martin Crowe
106
4841
49.39
16/ 16
The partnership with Sangakkara
Over the last several years, Sri Lanka haven't had to bother about two
positions in their batting line-up, since Sangakkara and Jayawardene
have locked up the one-down and two-down slots. The pair have batted
together 120 times,
and scored 6554 runs, which is second in the all-time list, after
Dravid-Tendulkar combination. However, the Sri Lankan pair have a better
average than the others in the top five, scoring 56.50 runs per
completed partnership. Their 624-run stand against South Africa at the
SSC (where else?) remains the highest partnership for any wicket in Tests, and a record that is unlikely to be broken any time soon.
Jayawardene's average of 31.66 is among the poorest for specialist
batsmen from the subcontinent who've played at least 20 Tests in these
four countries. With these qualifications, only three - Sanath
Jayasuriya, Imran Farhat and Mudassar Nazar - have poorer averages. Not
far from Jayawardene in this list is Virender Sehwag, who averaged 33.11
from 29 Tests in these four countries. At the other end of the list is
Tendulkar (51.30) and Dravid (49.48), while Sangakkara has healthy stats
too, averaging 45.31 in these four countries. That, in many ways, has
been the main difference in the careers of two of Sri Lanka's best
batsmen.
Poorest averages for subcontinent batsmen in Aus, Eng, NZ, SA (Qual: 20 Tests)
Batsman
Tests
Runs
Average
100s/ 50s
Sanath Jayasuriya
25
1177
26.15
2/ 3
Imran Farhat
26
1268
26.41
1/ 6
Mudassar Nazar
27
1081
27.02
1/ 5
Mahela Jayawardene
31
1868
31.66
4/ 7
Hashan Tillakaratne
20
1061
32.15
3/ 4
Virender Sehwag
29
1788
33.11
4/ 6
Ravi Shastri
21
1001
33.36
3/ 1
Dilip Vengsarkar
37
2014
34.72
4/ 10|
The captaincy trick
Apart from all these batting numbers, Jayawardene also had another arrow
in his quiver - that of captaincy, which he handled with a lot of
flair. In the 38 Tests when he led Sri Lanka, they won 18 matches and
lost 12, a captaincy record which was identical with Jayasuriya's record
as captain - they are the two captains who've led Sri Lanka to the highest number of Test wins.
Under Jayawardene, though, Sri Lanka won more often outside the
subcontinent, winning one Test each in England, New Zealand and the West
Indies.
Where Jayawardene also did much better than Jayasuriya as captain was in
taking care of his own batting during that period: Jayasuriya averaged
36.89 in the 38 Tests when he was captain; Jayawardene did much better,
averaging 59.10, with 14 centuries in 38 matches. Among the 39 captains
who've led in at least 20 Tests, only two - Bradman and Misbah-ul-Haq -
have better averages.
