Stats highlights from the final Harare T20I, where India defeated Zimbabwe by three runs to clinch the series 2-1

Bharath Seervi22-Jun-20160 Number of lower first-innings totals defended by India in T20Is, than the 138 in this match. The previous lowest was 146 against Bangladesh in the 2016 World T20. India had tied their 2007 World T20 match against Pakistan after scoring 141.43 Number of runs scored by India in the last three overs – 16 runs in the 18th over, 11 in the 19th and 16 in the 20th – as they moved from 95 to 138. In the seven overs prior to that, they had managed just 42. Zimbabwe needed 35 runs in the last three overs to win, but could manage only 31.3 The margin of Zimbabwe’s defeat is their narrowest in T20Is. For India, this was their third-narrowest win by runs.3 Number of consecutive bilateral T20I series won by India this year. Before the 2-1 triumph against Zimbabwe, they they swept Australia 3-0 in Australia, before prevailing 2-1 against Sri Lanka at home. Prior to the hat-trick of triumphs, India hadn’t won any of their previous three T20I series.1 Number of higher scores by an Indian, batting at No. 5 or lower in T20Is than Kedar Jadhav’s 58. Yuvraj Singh had made an unbeaten 77 against Australia when batting at No.5, in Rajkot in 2013-14. He had also made 58 against England in Durban in 2007 World T20. Jadhav’s knock was his maiden half-century, coming in his fourth innings.1 Wednesday’s T20I was the first in which both innings began with a maiden over. Tendai Chatara sent down a maiden when India batted, before Barinder Sran did the same during the chase, although he conceded a leg-bye. This was also the first time a maiden had been bowled in the first over of an Indian innings.3 for 20 Donald Tiripano’s figures in this match are his best in T20Is. Tiripano achieved his maiden three-wicket haul in his eighth match, and his returns are the second-best by a Zimbabwe bowler against India in T20Is.6 Number of wickets taken by Sran in this series is the joint-highest by an Indian who has played two or fewer matches in a bilateral T20I series. He took four wickets in the second game and two more on Wednesday to be adjudged the Player of the Series.19 Number of T20Is played by India this year is the most by a team in a calendar year. Pakistan had played 18 matches in 2010.324 Number of international matches in which MS Dhoni has served as captain, equaling Ricky Ponting’s tally. Dhoni has captained in 60 Tests, 194 ODIs and 70 T20Is.1 Number of Zimbabwe players who have played 50 or more T20Is. Hamilton Masakadza became the first to do so in this match.

15-Jun-2016Sibanda rode his luck as Yuzvendra Chahal put him down at midwicket when he was yet to get off the mark; he went on to top score with 38•Associated PressChahal made amends later when he induced a return catch off the leading edge to send Sibanda back, leaving Zimbabwe 89 for 3•Associated PressFrom 104 for 3 in 32.5 overs, Zimbabwe lost four wickets in four balls; their last seven wickets fell for just 19 runs as the side collapsed to 123 all out•Associated PressJasprit Bumrah was at the forefront of the wreckage, bettering his effort in the previous ODI for career-best figures of 4 for 22•Associated PressFaiz Fazal impressed on ODI debut and scored an unbeaten 55 in India’s reply•AFPKL Rahul’s maiden ODI series ended with another fluent knock. Rahul remained unbeaten on 63 and added 126 unbeaten runs with Fazal as India chased the target down in 21.5 overs•Associated PressWith the win, India swept the ODIs 3-0 and extended their unbeaten streak against Zimbabwe in ODIs to 12•AFP

Some background on the man who could replace Shan Masood at Edgbaston

Andrew McGlashan at Edgbaston02-Aug-2016Is it certain that Aslam will play?
Misbah-ul-Haq was being coy in his press conference, saying he wanted to keep England guessing, but that his players knew what the team would be. However, the suggestion has been that Pakistan do not want to offer up Masood to Anderson again. If they do make the change, it is like-for-like in that Aslam is a left-handed opener.He’s only 20. What’s his career been like so far?
He has played two previous Tests, against Bangladesh last year, but made just 47 runs in three innings. In 30 first-class matches he has scored more hundreds (six) than he has half-centuries (four) which suggests he has the hunger to convert into big scores (three of his centuries are over 150) although his first-class average is a modest 35.47 at the moment. He was prolific at Under-19 level and is currently the second-highest run-scorer in U-19 ODI history with 1695 runs. He was captain of the Pakistan U-19 side when they toured England in 2013 and made two centuries in a tri-series, including 110 in the final against England, before catching the eye with another hundred in victory over India at the 2013-14 U-19 Asia Cup. In January of this year, he played for Pakistan A against England Lions, who were captained by James Vince.What is his current form?
That’s hard to say, because he has barely played of late. He made 17 against a friendly Worcestershire attack at New Road a few days ago but his last first-class innings was in December. Misbah, though, said any player had to be ready to be called on during a tour. “I think anyone who is here in the Pakistan squad is capable. We expect everybody to deliver.”Why would he come into the side?
Masood has been a walking wicket for Anderson, who has removed him in every innings they have faced each other. In 57 balls, Anderson has conceded just 15 runs to Masood and claimed him six times. While it will be a tough ask for Aslam, there is probably a thought that the innings will not be any worse off for giving him a chance. Pakistan’s opening stands in this series have been 32, 2, 27, and 7 – their last 50-plus opening stand against England in England was in 1996 when Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar added 106 at The Oval.Could Pakistan have taken another route?
The last time Pakistan dropped Masood, in Sharjah during England’s visit to the UAE last year, his replacement was Azhar Ali who had missed the first two Tests of that series due to injury. He and Mohammad Hafeez put on a stand of 101 in the second innings. They could promote Azhar up one spot, but he actually has fewer runs than Masood so far in this series (39 in four innings) so he, too, is low on confidence. Moving Azhar up would also force other changes, perhaps Asad Shafiq to No. 3 with another batsman in the middle order, so the straight swap of Aslam for Masood would be less disruptive.

South Africa have a strong record in Australia and in Perth, but Australia have been superb in the first Test of home series

Gaurav Sundararaman01-Nov-20162005 The last time South Africa lost a Test series in Australia. Since then, they have won two Test series in the country – 2-1 in 2008, and 1-0 in 2012. Since readmission into Test cricket they have the best win-loss ratio in Australia.3 Number of Tests South Africa have won in Australia in the last eight years, losing only one. Their win-loss ratio is by far the best among all overseas teams in Australia. The next best during this period is England’s 3-6 record.4/8 Win-loss record for the home team in Australia-South Africa Test series in the last eight years. In five series during this period, four have been won by the away team and one was drawn, in South Africa in 2011-12.58.66 David Warner’s batting average in Tests against Dale Steyn – he has scored 176 runs against Steyn, and been dismissed three times. Steyn dominated the head-to-head in the 2011-12 series in Australia, dismissing Warner twice for 59 runs, but Warner was completely on top in South Africa in 2013-14, taking 117 runs off Steyn in just 94 balls.Who will win the Steyn v Warner contest this time?•ESPNcricinfo Ltd0 Number of times South Africa have lost a Test in Perth, which is the venue for the first Test. They have played three Tests at the WACA, and have won twice and drawn once.3.43 South Africa’s average run rate in Perth. This is by far their highest among all grounds in Australia since readmission. Their next best is 2.80, in Brisbane.32/1 Australia’s win-loss record in the first Test of a series, since 1989. Their only defeat was against South Africa in Perth, when they lost by six wickets in 2008.6 Number of wickets that Dale Steyn requires to become South Africa’s leading wicket taker in Test matches. Among all bowlers who have taken 100 wickets for South Africa, Steyn has the best strike rate.97.23 Steven Smith’s Test average in Australia in the last two years. During this period he has scored six centuries in 17 innings. Australia’s top five in the squad for the first Test all average more than 50 in home Tests during this period.

Player Tests Runs Average SR 100s 50sAdam Voges 6 660 165.00 66.73 3 1Usman Khawaja 4 504 126.00 69.61 3 1Steven Smith 10 1264 97.23 67.05 6 4David Warner 10 1245 73.23 87.24 7 1Shaun Marsh 5 487 54.11 54.11 1 2437 Australia’s average first-innings total in the last four seasons . In 21 Tests during this period, they have taken the first-innings lead 17 times, with the average lead being 173.

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2016Ben Stokes didn’t last long, either, when he inside-edge a ripping delivery to short leg•Getty ImagesZafar Ansari’s first innings in Test cricket ended when he edged to gully•Associated PressJoe Root played superbly in touch conditions to bring up a half-century…•Associated Press…but was soon trapped on the back foot and given lbw•Associated PressEngland’s innings was rescued from 144 for 8 by a 99-run stand between Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid•Getty ImagesWoakes was reprieved on 38 when a full toss was called no-ball and went on to make 46•Getty ImagesHe was well caught at leg slip by Shuvagata Hom as the new ball finished off England’s resistance•Getty ImagesIn reply, Tamim Iqbal started with familiar intent to make 40 from 47 balls•Getty ImagesBut Ansari removed him at leg slip to claim a notable maiden Test wicket•Getty Images… before Ben Stokes had Mominul Haque caught at slip for 1•Getty ImagesImrul Kayes toyed with England’s spinners to extend Bangladesh’s lead•Associated PressBut Zafar Ansari gave England hope with the last-ball dismissal of Mahmudullah for 47•Getty Images

Terrific fielding, not-so-terrific fielding and Sean Williams feature prominently in the plays from the tri-series final in Bulawayo

Sirish Raghavan27-Nov-2016The screamerZimbabwe’s pain while batting was mostly self-inflicted, but there was one wicket that was down to a moment of athletic brilliance in the field. Graeme Cremer had begun to settle into his role of providing support to the set Sean Williams. He had accumulated nine runs when he drove one in the air through the covers. Or, rather, it would have gone through the covers had Kusal Mendis not leaped up at short cover and snatched the ball from over his head in the blink of an eye. Cremer had to depart, while Mendis was mobbed by his team-mates.The misfield(s)Williams is not one to look indulgently upon fielding lapses off his bowling. On the fourth ball of the 15th over, Upul Tharanga threaded a cut between point and backward point. Both fielders turned to give pursuit, ultimately combining for a tag-team effort to keep it down to two. But, far from impressed, Williams was furious that neither of them had dived initially to cut it off. Next ball, Williams was guilty of failing to cut off a straight drive from Tharanga. He found that annoying enough, but it was about to get worse. Tarisai Musakanda, running around from long-on, took his eyes off the ball and let it go between his legs for four. Williams was ready to explode.The unrecognised opportunityIn the 18th over of Sri Lanka’s chase, Tharanga closed the bat face early on a Cremer delivery and got a leading edge that lobbed in the air not too far beyond the bowler. But Cremer, seemingly unaware of how close it was, took a few backward steps before giving up. Mid-on was not too far, but did not make a serious attempt either. What should have been a clear chance, went by quietly, almost ignored.The screamer that wasn’tBatting on 18 and looking rather scratchy, Tharanga chipped one in the air towards short midwicket, where Hamilton Masakadza made a sharp, full-length dive to his right and got a hand to it, but the ball did not stick. Instead, it rolled away and Tharanga scampered through for a single. It would be harsh to call it a drop – it was a half-chance at best – but it extended the batsman’s charmed stay at the crease. The bowler, incidentally, was the long-suffering Williams.Williams shows the wayThe twin themes of Williams and fielding were to combine with dramatic effect once more in the match. This time, though, there was no mistake, nor any angst. Mendis, having made a sparkling fifty, top-edged a slog sweep to deep square leg, where Williams was stationed. He judged the ball’s flight well, timed his jump perfectly and took a terrific catch over his head, mere inches from the boundary. For a man who takes pride in his fielding that would have been pleasing. He doffed his hat, bowed and flashed a smile just to underscore that point.

Stats highlights from India’s record-breaking victory over England in Chennai

Bharath Seervi20-Dec-20160 Number of bigger first-innings totals than England’s 477 in this match, which resulted in an innings defeat. The previous biggest such total was 432, also by England, at The Oval, in the 2001 Ashes. This is the sixth time a team has lost after scoring 400 or more in their first innings, and four of those are by England. In the previous Test of this series, at the Wankhede, England lost after scoring 400. England’s total is also the highest total, in any innings of the Test, to end in an innings defeat beating West Indies’ 463 while following on at Eden Gardens in 2011-12.18 Number of consecutive Tests without a defeat for India, their longest ever unbeaten run. Their previous longest unbeaten streak was between September 1985 and March 1987. However, they had won only four matches in that 17-Test run, compared to this sequence which has had 14 wins. Click here for the list of longest unbeaten sequences, which is topped by West Indies – 27 matches without a defeat from 1982 to 1984.2 Instances of India winning four Tests in a series – the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2012-13 (four-match series), and this five-match series. The previous time England lost four or more Tests in a series was in the 2013-14 Ashes.1 This was Ravindra Jadeja’s first ten-wicket haul in Test cricket. He took 10 for 154 in this Test, including 7 for 48 in the second innings, both career-best figures. His previous best innings figures was 6 for 138 in Durban in 2013-14.India are unbeaten in their last 18 consecutive Tests•ESPNcricinfo Ltd6 Number of times Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Cook in this series. It is the most an India bowler has dismissed a particular batsman in a series. Cook averaged just 12.50 against Jadeja in the series. There have been 20 other instances of an India bowler dismissing a batsman five times in a series, including R Ashwin against Ben Stokes in this series.0 Number of captains who have led India in more successive Tests without a defeat than Virat Kohli with 18. Sunil Gavaskar had also led in 18 consecutive Tests without a loss, his first 18 Tests in charge from 1976 to 1980. Kapil Dev had a 17-Test run without a defeat. Kohli had two defeats in his first four Tests and no loss since then.1 Ravindra Jadeja became the first ever player to score a half-century or more, take 10 or more wickets and also take four or more catches in a Test. He scored 51 in the first innings, took 10 for 154 in the match plus a catch in first innings and three catches in second innings. Jadeja is in fact only the second India player after Kapil Dev to score a 50-plus and take ten-for in a Test. Kapil had also done it in Chennai, against Pakistan in 1979-80.9 Tests won by India this year – the most by them in any year. The previous best was eight wins in 2010. India ended the year unbeaten, in 12 Tests. Only England (11 wins) in 2004 and Australia (10 wins) in 2006 have more Tests in a year without losing any. On the other hand, this was England’s eighth Test defeat this year – the joint second-most for any team behind Bangladesh’s nine in 2003.25 Number of century opening partnerships Alastair Cook has been involved in – the most by any opener. He went past Jack Hobbs and Graeme Smith, who had been involved in 24 hundreds partnerships for the first wicket. Keaton Jennings is the 10th opening partner with whom Cook has shared a century partnership, which is also a record. The previous record was Graham Gooch’s nine partners.

Ahead of Bangladesh’s 100th match, ESPNcricinfo looks into the history of first-class cricket in the country and its slow road to relevance

Mohammad Isam12-Mar-2017Nafees Iqbal would never forget the day his uncle Akram Khan asked him to play in the National Cricket League in 1999. “I walked across the road from my house to the MA Aziz Stadium with my whites. I went into the dressing-room, felt a little intimidated with so many senior players around. We fielded first, and Saifullah Magsi struck 170-odd. Soon it was our turn to bat, and I made 126. My whole family had come to see the game, and it was such a proud moment.”That was the first round of the NCL’s first season, about a year before Bangladesh played their inaugural Test. There had been two and three-day matches in Bangladesh in the National Cricket Championship, but it was sporadic. The NCL was formed to tick one of the boxes that led to Bangladesh’s Test status, and a few seasons later it was given first-class status. So like Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, Bangladesh would also get their Test status before their domestic long-format tournament got first-class status.At the time, it was expected to be the stage for future Bangladesh Test cricketers to develop the skills, mentality and temperament for a longer period. It was divided into the divisional headquarters, meaning room was left for players from outside the main cities and towns to get a chance. While that has happened in the last two decades, only a few, incredibly, have come through the first-class system.

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Habibul Bashar was facing a senior pace bowler in the nets during the early days of Bangladesh’s first-class season. The bowler ran in, and suddenly rather than heading down his over-the-wicket path, he bowled around the wicket. Bashar was stunned, nearly took the ball on his gloves but it hit the top of his bat-handle.”What was that?” Bashar asked.”You will play a lot of first-class and Test cricket. These things will happen once in a while”, was the response from the other end.Bashar smiled and went back to facing the next bowler.In reality, the senior fast bowler had missed his run-up, so just for the sake of it, he bowled from the other side. He was known for his quirky side, so Bashar didn’t mind.That was a one-off funny incidemt but across the country, cricketers did try to figure out the longer version in those days. Some thought batting with a heavier bat would help them, others felt a lighter bat would give them the advantage. Those in Rajshahi figured it was fitness that would help them during a hot four-day match. Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet banked on their flair and talent, but that didn’t last long.

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The promise of the NCL gave away far too quickly. Within a few seasons, it began to be referred as by players who would simply turn up for the matches and go through the motions. The money involved in the NCL was much less than what they earned in the Dhaka Premier League, the country’s most important competition for decades.The intensity too was vastly underwhelming in the first-class tournament. While the one-day format of the Dhaka Premier League had players facing pressure on a daily basis, there was a deafening silence while playing a first-class game. Those running the divisional teams were unsure what to tell the players even if they did badly. For places like Barisal, the same players continued for many years because there was no local talent being developed. When the talent pool dried up in Chittagong and Sylhet, the administrators hardly bothered.

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It was expected that Bangladesh’s Test team would benefit from the domestic first-class scene but it was the Dhaka Premier League and recently the BCB’s youth programmes that have had the most impact.Bangladesh didn’t have the advantage that Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe had – both countries played long-version cricket for a while before they played their first Tests in 1982 and 1992 respectively.Sri Lanka didn’t actually get official first-class status for their domestic matches until the late 1980s – i.e. long after they had got Test status.
The premier tournament, called the Sara Trophy, did not get first-class status until the 1987/88 season. Before that Zimbabwe had three-day matches, played largely among the same teams that became first-class clubs. Additionally, because of its geographic location, Sri Lanka would often get foreign teams to visit and play cricket and those were considered first-class matches, while when a Sri Lankan team went overseas, those matches were also considered first-class.In Zimbabwe, although the Logan Cup has been played since around 1903, it only became a first-class competition after Zimbabwe gained Test status in 1992 (so the first first-class Logan Cup came only after Zimbabwe were a Test nation). Prior to this it was not a first-class competition, but it did feature multi-innings long-form cricket. While the question on when cricket was introduced in Zimbabwe remains a debate, most people seem to think that the first game was played in 1890 when the white colonial settlers arrived in the country. Ever since cricket has been played regularly in various centres.It’s important to note that while the Logan Cup itself wasn’t designated as a first class competition until Zimbabwe were a Test nation, the Zimbabweans had been playing first-class cricket regularly and of a high standard through the 1980s as counties such as Middlesex and Leicestershire visited the country, along with teams such as Pakistan International Airlines, Young West Indies, Young Australia and Sri Lanka in first-class games. Before 1980, Zimbabwe (or Rhodesia as it was then known) took part in South Africa’s Currie Cup, and those games were first-class matches. So when they gained independence the same year, they faced a huge question: whether to stay in South Africa’s domestic first-class cricket competition – and risk apartheid-related isolation along with them – or to go their own way and exit the Currie Cup. They chose the latter.The feeling from the players who made up Zimbabwe’s first Test team is that, while they think the cricket the provinces played in the country was of a decent standard, these first-class games against visiting sides were vital to the development of the national team. Some of the internationals who visited included Dean Jones, Bruce Reid, Courtney Walsh, Jeff Dujon and Malcolm Marshall.

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In the late 2000s, the BCB decided to pick teams instead of asking the divisions to do it themselves, in a bid to even out the strength of the squads. It backfired – the sense of competition within the teams reduced as players were not representing their regions, and hence cared less for the team and more for their own performance.In 2013, the then BCB president AHM Mustafa Kamal inducted all first-class players into a salary scheme and began the Bangladesh Cricket League, a more refined regional first-class competition. Created to spice up the first-class scene, the BCL has provided for a higher quality of cricket than the NCL.Yet, there remains very little trust in players even if they put up a good show in the domestic circuit. A player either has to come with an age-group tag or has to prove himself in the A team, who rarely play.Indeed, Bangladesh’s first-class scene is yet to impart value to cricketers. It is in place, and there is hope that in the next five years the BCL will take over as the most important domestic tournament. But unless it produces one cricketer who transitions serenely into the Test team, the first-class scene will continue to be called picnic cricket.

From Javed Omar to Enamul Haque jnr, players skilled in the longer format have for long been treated condescendingly by a country that has grown up on a diet of one-day cricket. But the value they brought to Bangladesh’s Test team is undeniable

Mohammad Isam13-Mar-2017Athar Ali Khan oozed style, in game as much as appearance. Tall and immaculately dressed in an ironed white shirt and his trademark wide-brimmed hat, Athar’s defensive push had everything in place, with the front foot protruding and the elbow high. Javed Omar, who appeared to jump while playing his version of the stroke, made for quite the contrast. Where Athar played a proper shot, Omar’s was more a stop.Athar was admired during his career, though in key moments – such as the ICC Trophy final in 1997 – he wasn’t asked to bat as Bangladesh needed quick runs. Omar was appreciated at least a decade into his international career. He wasn’t understood, he felt. Both were called “Test” cricketers, but in Omar’s case, it was as if he was being mocked for his inability to score quick runs. He was no Minhajul Abedin, Akram Khan or Aminul Islam.Not much has changed since in the life of a Bangladesh Test cricketer, especially the ones that don’t play much beyond the the long format. Mominul Haque, despite all his skills with the bat, only plays a few times a year, and has to perform constantly. Mehedi Hasan and Taijul Islam are his latest “Test-only” partners, while others like Robiul Islam and Enamul Haque jnr are now on the scrap-heap.It is interesting to note how batsmen with a comparatively better defensive technique and willingness to open the innings and bowlers with the rare quality of bowling well for long spells have been looked at condescendingly for most of their careers. A lot of it has to do with how Bangladeshis grew up on one-day cricket, and even Test status didn’t change that outlook.It wasn’t so for an earlier generation. Former Bangladesh captain Raqibul Hasan came close to making the Pakistan Test side in the late 1960s. He was an opening batsman of much promise in Dhaka’s domestic circuit, but was mostly ignored by selectors who sided with players from West Pakistan. According to senior journalist Arifur Rahman Babu, Raqibul was one of the few cricketers from this region who merited a place in the Pakistan Test team. But he also tells the story of Asaduzzaman Misha, who played for Bangladesh as an opener in the late 1970s.”Dr Misha used to be a solid opener during those days when others like Yousuf Rahman were more dashing batsmen,” Babu says. “Among those who watched league matches, he was sometimes regarded as someone quite solid, who could have been a Test opener.”As the Dhaka Premier League one-day competition gained importance and popularity, so did the need for free-scoring batsmen. Athar broke into the Bangladesh team during the 1986 ICC Trophy, and made his ODI debut two years later. When he became a regular opener, starting from the 1994 ICC Trophy, his classic technique, patience and strokeplay made him look like a Test opener, and made him stand out among many from his generation.”I wasn’t lucky enough to play Test cricket, but it was always a dream,” Athar says. “I started my Bangladesh career as a lower-order batsman. I had opened in the 1986 ICC Trophy, but only became a regular when, in 1994, [the then Bangladesh coach] Mohinder Amarnath told me that I was good enough to open the batting again. He said I had the technique to play fast bowling.”The first idea was to keep playing in the V, by presenting the full face of the bat. I tried to watch the moving ball as close as possible, and leave it to the keeper if it is not as close to the off-stump. I was happy to open the innings for Bangladesh.”The first time Athar opened in ODIs was with Omar during the 1995 Asia Cup. At the start of his career, Omar looked like someone who needed to work very hard to stay abreast of his more talented teammates. For the next five years, he was only brought back after other openers had failed.For kids in the 1990s, anyone batting slowly or even defending a ball was trying to be “a Javed Omar”. He was one of the most misunderstood cricketers of his generation. There weren’t many Omar fans, because his style of batting didn’t suit what Bangladeshis saw and played at the time – one-day matches. But, while he was ridiculed for batting slowly, his stop-start international career ran into some good news: Bangladesh were given Test status in 2000. There was no doubt that Omar would go on to play Tests.Enamul Haque jnr bowled Bangladesh to their maiden Test match and series win, but the presence of Mohammad Rafique and Abdur Razzak in the ODI team denied him short-format opportunities•AFPOn his Test debut, against Zimbabwe in April 2001, he carried his bat through the second innings. Omar would play 40 Tests until July 2007, a period during which he was among only four cricketers who were Test regulars. Through trial and error, he learned to leave deliveries that would tempt him to drive, and once he had mastered the technique, he survived for long.He averaged 22.05 with a century and eight fifties, but regards a rearguard 43 against Zimbabwe in the 2005 Test at the Bangabandhu National Stadium as his most rewarding innings. Until AB de Villiers made 43 off 297 balls over 354 minutes against India in December 2015, Omar’s 43 was the slowest sub-50 innings in Test history in terms of balls faced (258) and minutes spent at the crease (340).”I made 43 having batted for more than five hours to ensure the second Test in 2005 was drawn, and which enabled us to win our maiden Test series,” Omar says. “There were lots of scoring opportunities on a really flat wicket that day, but I played that way so that no one could complain that I didn’t live up to my Test specialist tag that day. It is one of the slowest 43s of all time and an innings that still makes me proud.”For years, Omar was the subject of jokes about his batting, arising out of a failure to notice how effective he was for Bangladesh, whose overall aggressive approach to Test batting didn’t pay too much dividend.”I could survive a long time at the wicket, though I suffered for it at the time because people teased me for batting slowly. But I really feel proud now when people tell me that I was a genuine Test player.”There wasn’t much he could base his work on, as long-form cricket only became regular in the domestic scene in 1999. “I had to make many technical adjustments. Our first-class level in the early days was picnic cricket,” he says. “When we went to New Zealand to play first-class matches in 1997, it was an eye-opener for us. And we had virtually no idea what Test cricket was all about in those days.”Once batsmen like Tamim Iqbal emerged through ODIs, Bangladesh once again ditched Omar in mid-2007, and this time for good.But for years till then, Bangladesh’s ODI and Test XIs looked similar with only a few changes in personnel. One of the first players to be labelled a Test specialist was Enamul, who, in his third Test series, took 18 wickets in two matches to destroy a new-look Zimbabwe. It was pivotal to Bangladesh’s first series win, much like Omar’s effort on the final day of that 2005 series.With Mohammad Rafique playing both formats and Abdur Razzak also emerging as an ODI specialist, Enamul’s left-arm spin began to be considered only for Tests. He was picking up wickets by the bagful in first-class and A team cricket, but they dried up at the international level, as did Bangladesh’s Test schedule. After 2009, he had almost permanently lost his Test spot, only returning for a solitary match against Zimbabwe in 2013 when he bowled at a much quicker pace.In that same series, a Bangladesh fast bowler won a Man-of-the-Series award for the first time. Robiul, who bowled classic outswing, had slowly developed the one that darted back in, and troubled Zimbabwe. He bowled 110 overs, the most by a Bangladesh fast bowler in a Test series, and most of his 15 wickets were brilliant to watch.Robiul was living his childhood dream, which was slightly different from that of many cricketers of his generation, who tended to want to bat or bowl spin: “I wanted to be Bangladesh’s No. 1 Test bowler.”Growing up in Satkhira, he saw the Abahani-Mohammedan league derby on TV and was instantly attracted to the players’ whites. Soon, he realised all cricket was played in whites, and once he entered professional cricket through the first-class system, his love for the whites became ingrained into his system.”I was just mad about Test cricket,” he says. “Coincidentally, I also started my cricket career at the top level with first-class cricket, so the two got connected. I developed a habit of bowling long spells and had a lot of fun working out batsmen. I was always too focused about Tests, more than one-dayers, which is why maybe I was good in it and then got only considered for Tests.”A leg injury after his epic performance against Zimbabwe and a dislocated shoulder the following year pushed him out of contention. Now, he doesn’t find a regular place in domestic first-class cricket either. But he is a hard trier, and has been for more than a decade in some of the toughest conditions for seamers.Robiul Islam was the first Bangladesh fast bowler to win a Player-of-the-Series award in Test cricket•Associated PressEnamul and Robiul are early examples of how players with the “Test specialists” tag suffered due to confinement to a single format. In the last five years, it has been predominantly bowlers who have been given Test-only tags – Taijul, Mohammad Shahid, Jubair Hossain and now Mehedi.Left-arm spinner Taijul, who took a hat-trick on ODI debut, and legspinner Jubair have at least been tried a few times in shorter formats, but Shahid and Mehedi are yet to be considered for anything but Tests. Taijul has made steady contributions, but Jubair has lost his place.Mehedi could still make the limited overs team, given the value he adds with his batting and fielding, but Mominul, who started so well batting at No. 4 in Tests, has been asked to move to No. 3 and focus on it permanently. While it is a move that Bangladesh feel will enable their most talented Test batsman to concentrate on a tough job, what Mominul feels is also important and must be considered. He hadn’t done too badly in ODIs, but hasn’t played one since the 2015 World Cup.During the New Zealand tour of 2016-17, he sat around for nearly three weeks before getting to play Tests. It is to his credit that he performs quite consistently. How his or even Mehedi’s recent drop in form in Tests is seen is going to be critical. If they are not given a longer rope, they could disappear quickly, and replacing such talented cricketers takes a long time.But without these specialists, Bangladesh’s Test team will be half-cooked, like it was for years when it contained no Javed, Mominul or Robiul.

Stats highlights from the fourth day in Ranchi, where Cheteshwar Pujara batted for ages and the Australians toiled like they haven’t had to in many years

Bharath Seervi19-Mar-2017525 Balls faced by Cheteshwar Pujara – the most by an India batsman in a Test innings (where balls faced is known). The previous record was Rahul Dravid’s 495 deliveries for his career-best 270 in Rawalpindi in 2004.1964 The last time a batsman played over 500 balls against Australia. Ken Barrington faced 624 deliveries in his innings of 256 at Old Trafford. Pujara is only the fourth batsman to face over 500 balls against Australia. Wally Hammond did it three times.2 Players who have made more double-centuries against Australia than the two by Pujara. Hammond scored four double-tons followed by Brian Lara with three. Graeme Pollock, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman have also scored two double-hundreds against Australia.11 Double-centuries by Pujara in first-class matches – the most among Indian players along with Vijay Merchant. Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid have 10 double-tons. Pujara has made three double-centuries in Tests, five in the Ranji Trophy, two for India A and one in the Duleep Trophy.215 Number of balls Pujara faced from Steve O’Keefe in his innings – the second most by a batsman off a bowler in a Test innings since 2000. Mahela Jayawardene had batted 221 balls off Nicky Boje in his famous 374. Pujara scored 65 off O’Keefe at a strike rate of 30.23, and against other bowlers he scored at 44.19 – 137 runs off 310 balls.

210 Overs batted by India – their fourth-longest Test innings and the second longest in last 55 years. They had batted 225.2 overs against Sri Lanka in Colombo (SSC) in 2010. The previous longest innings for India against Australia was 202 overs in Adelaide in 1985-86. The last team to play 200 overs against Australia was South Africa in Durban in 1994.2001 The last time a bowler bowled 75 or more overs in an innings – Ray Price against South Africa in Bulawayo. O’Keefe bowled 77 overs in this innings, the second most for any bowler in India.199 Partnership between Pujara and Wriddhiman Saha – the highest seventh-wicket stand for India against Australia, beating 132 between Hemu Adhikari and Vijay Hazare in Adelaide in 1947-48. It is the third highest seventh-wicket stand for any team against Australia.521 Balls taken by Pujara to reach his double-century, the most by an India batsman. The previous slowest double-hundred for India was off 488 balls – Navjot Sidhu in Port of Spain in 1996-97.4 Number of Indian players to score over 2000 first-class runs in a season. Pujara has 2007 runs in this 2016-17 season, all in India. The other three are: Mohinder Amarnath (2234) in 1982-83 playing in Pakistan, India and West Indies; Sunil Gavaskar (2121) in 1978-79 in India and Pakista; and Mohammad Azhruddin (2016) in 1991 in England. Pujara is the first to score over 2000 runs in an Indian first-class season.3 Centuries for Saha – the second most among India wicketkeepers behind MS Dhoni’s six. Saha’s third century came in his 34th innings, compared to Dhoni’s 62.2.87 Run rate of India’s innings – the lowest among their 27 600-plus totals. Their total of 603 for 9 is their fourth-highest total against Australia. India had scored only 674 runs in four innings of the first two Tests before this total.