COVID-19 and sports: A corona-curtailed Test cricket season

The outbreak of the coronavirus has affected sporting events across the world. Major sporting events have been cancelled midway or postponed. The most significant one that was due to take place in Japan this summer was the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. International cricket has also not been spared. Several Test, One-Day International and Twenty20 International series being left unfinished and national T20 premier leagues, such as the Pakistan Super League, had to be cut short, while the major Indian Premier League 2020 has been postponed indefinitely. This means that Test cricket for the 2019-20 season is done with, hence, it is now the time to look at how the sides and the cricketers performed in the 25 Test matches played.

Test matches played during the 2019-20 season – a statistical survey

First Test: Visakhapatnam, October 2-6 – India beat South Africa by 203 runs

Last Test: Hagley Oval, Christchurch, February 29-March 2 – New Zealand beat India by seven wickets

Team results

Most wins

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Highest team totals

Lowest team totals

Highest match aggregates

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Lowest match aggregates (drawn Tests not considered)

Biggest victories by innings

The victorious Indian team after beating South Africa 3-0 in the Test series.   -  FILE PHOTO/ RAJEEV BHATT

Biggest victories by runs

Biggest victories by wickets

Highest individual scores

Note: Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne and Pakistan’s Babar Azam have hit the most 100s in this period – four!

Mayank Agarwal scored 243 against Bangladesh and a fighting 58 against New Zealand in Wellington.   -  FILE PHOTO/ GETTY IMAGES

Century in each innings

Century on debut

Longest individual innings (in terms of minutes)

Longest individual innings (in terms of balls faced)

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Fastest individual scores of 50-plus

Slowest individual scores of 50-plus

Leading run-getters

Marnus Labuschagne.   -  FILE PHOTO/ AP

Best bowling in an innings

Note: Australia’s Nathan Lyon is the only bowler to claim three five-wicket hauls.

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Best bowling in a match

Leading wicket-takers this season

Hat-tricks

Best all-round performance in a Test match

Best all-rounders this season