Bairstow's blues

Nervous nineties! England’s Jonny Bairstow is dejected after being adjudged out, leg before, for 99 in the fourth Test against South Africa at Old Trafford. He, thus, became only the third wicketkeeper in Test history to be dismissed one short of a century.

99

The runs scored by England’s Jonny Bairstow in the first innings of the Old Trafford Test against South Africa. He, thus, became only the third wicketkeeper in Test cricket history to be dismissed one short of a century. The others are: Brendon McCullum of New Zealand, against Sri Lanka in Napier in April 2005, and M.S. Dhoni of India, against England in Nagpur in December 2012.

9

The number of occasions a player has made 250-plus runs and also claimed 25-plus wickets in a Test series. England’s Moeen Ali, in the recent series against South Africa, became the eighth player to achieve this. He is the first player in Test history to do so in a four-match series, while the others have done it in either six- or five-match series. Ian Botham, the only other England player in the list, has the distinction of doing it twice!

32

The number of Tests Ravindra Jadeja took to claim his 150th wicket. In the Colombo SSC Test, he became the quickest among left-arm bowlers to reach the landmark. The previous quickest was Australian pace bowler Mitchell Johnson, who reached the mark in 34 Tests in March 2010. For the record, among all Indian bowlers, only R. Ashwin has done it quicker, in 29 Tests in November 2015.

2

The number of Test hundreds scored by Dimuth Karunaratne (141 against India at SSC) for Sri Lanka while following on. He had also made 152 in Christchurch in December 2014 when Sri Lanka had to follow on. Among Asians, only Indians (Vijay Hazare and V.V.S. Laxman) have managed two centuries while following on in Tests.

50

The number of catches held by Ajinkya Rahane in Test cricket. In the second Test in Colombo (SSC), he became the 14th Indian to reach the landmark. By doing so in his 39th Test, Rahane is the second quickest Indian fielder to take 50 catches, behind Eknath Solkar, who achieved the mark in a record 26 Test matches.

3

The number of Test wins for India at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo — the joint most with Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, the other foreign ground with most wins for India in Tests. Incidentally, Colombo as a city has seen maximum Indian Test victories — five (three at the SSC and two at the P. Sara Oval). 

4

The number of Man of the Match awards won by Ravindra Jadeja in Tests, in the last 12 months. It is the most for any player in the last one year. India skipper Virat Kohli and Moeen Ali of England have three awards each during this period.