Statsman

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

Tests, ODIs and T20I series left unfinished and T20 premier leagues, such as the Pakistan Super League, had to be cut short due to coronavirus.

Mohandas Menon
01 May, 2020 17:37 IST

Australia opener David Warner registered the highest Test score, 335*, of the 2019-20 season.   -  FILE PHOTO/ AP

Mohandas Menon
01 May, 2020 17:37 IST

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

TeamTests playedWonLostDrawnWin percentageTosses won
Australia5500100.003
India752071.433
England632150.006
New Zealand733142.863
Pakistan522140.003
West Indies1100100.001
Bangladesh413025.002
Sri Lanka411225.001
South Africa716014.290
Afghanistan10100.000
Zimbabwe30210.003
Overall252222388.0025

 

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Highest team totals

TotalCountryOpponentVenueResult
615/9dNew ZealandEnglandMount MaunaganuiWon
601/5dIndiaSouth AfricaPuneWon
589/3dAustraliaPakistanAdelaideWon

 

Lowest team totals

TotalCountryOpponentVenueResult
106/10BangladeshIndiaKolkataLost
120/10AfghanistanWest IndiesLucknowLost
124/10IndiaNew ZealandChristchurchLost

 

Highest match aggregates

TotalTeam 1Team 2VenueWon by
1,447/31IndiaSouth AfricaVisakhapatnamIndia
1,229/33PakistanSri LankaKarachiPakistan
1,165/29EnglandNew ZealandMount MaunaganuiNew Zealand

 

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Lowest match aggregates (drawn Tests not considered)

TotalTeam 1Team 2VenueWon by
617/31AfghanistanWest IndiesLucknowWest Indies
648/28BangladeshIndiaKolkataIndia
713/30IndiaNew ZealandWellingtonNew Zealand

 

Biggest victories by innings

Won byCountryOpponentVenue
Innings and 202 runsIndiaSouth AfricaRanchi
Innings and 137 runsIndiaSouth AfricaPune
Innings and 130 runsIndiaBangaldeshIndore

 

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

 

Biggest victories by runs

Won byCountryOpponentVenue
296 runsAustraliaNew ZealandPerth
279 runsAustraliaNew ZealandSydney
263 runsPakistanSri LankaKarachi

 

Biggest victories by wickets

Won byCountryOpponentVenue
10 wicketsSri LankaZimbabweHarare
10 wicketsNew ZealandIndiaWellington

 

Highest individual scores

ScoreBatsmanCountryOpponentVenueResult
335*David WarnerAustraliaPakistanAdelaideWon
254*Virat KohliIndiaSouth AfricaPuneWon
243Mayank AgarwalIndiaBangladeshIndoreWon
226Joe RootEnglandNew ZealandHamiltonDrawn
215Marnus LabuschagneAustraliaNew ZealandSydneyWon

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

ScoresBatsmanCountryOpponentVenueResult
176 and 127Rohit SharmaIndiaSouth AfricaVisakhapatnamWon

 

Century on debut

ScoreBatsmanCountryOpponentVenueResult
109*Abid AliPakistanSri LankaRawalpindiDrawn

 

Longest individual innings (in terms of minutes)

MinutesRunsBatsmanCountryOpponentVenueResult
667205B-J WatlingNew ZealandEnglandMount MaunganuiWon
632226Joe RootEnglandNew ZealandHamiltonDrawn
595200*Angelo MathewsSri LankaZimbabweHarareWon
554335*David WarnerAustraliaPakistanAdelaideWon
516215Marnus LabuschagneAustraliaNew ZealandSydneyWon

 

Longest individual innings (in terms of balls faced)

Balls facedRunsBatsmanCountryOpponentVenueResult
473205B-J WatlingNew ZealandEnglandMount MaunganuiWon
468200*Angelo MathewsSri LankaZimbabweHarareWon
441226Joe RootEnglandNew ZealandHamiltonDrawn
418335*David WarnerAustraliaPakistanAdelaideWon
371215Mayank AgarwalIndiaSouth AfricaVisakhapatnamWon

 

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Fastest individual scores of 50-plus

Strike rateScoreBallsBatsmanCountryOpponentVenueResult
153.197247Ben StokesEnglandSouth AfricaCape TownWon
100.006262Brendan TaylorZimbabweSri LankaHarareDrawn
89.336775Brendan TaylorZimbabweSri LankaHarareDrawn
87.5091104Ravindra JadejaIndiaSouth AfricaPuneWon
85.536576Niroshan DickwellaSri LankaPakistanKarachiLost

 

Slowest individual scores of 50-plus

Strike rateScoreBallsBatsmanCountryOpponentVenueResult
28.6555192B-J WatlingNew ZealandEnglandHamiltonDrawn
29.1784288Pieter MalanSouth AfricaEnglandCape TownLost
29.4463214Kevin KasuzaZimbabweSri LankaHarareLost
34.6263182Steve SmithAustraliaNew ZealandSydneyWon
34.7250144Tom LathamNew ZealandAustraliaMelbourneLost

 

Leading run-getters

RunsBatsmanCountryMatchesInningsHighest scoreAverageHundreds/fifties
896Marnus LabuschagneAustralia58215112.004/3
786David WarnerAustralia58335*131.003/0
699Mayank AgarwalIndia71024369.903/1
615Babar AzamPakistan58143102.504/2
556Rohit SharmaIndia5621292.663/0
556Joe RootEngland61022655.601/3
536Quinton de KockSouth Africa71411138.281/4

 

Marnus Labuschagne.   -  FILE PHOTO/ AP

 

Best bowling in an innings

Bowling figuresBowlerCountryOpponentVenueResult
7/75Rahkeem CornwallWest IndiesAfghanistanLucknowWon
7/113Sikandar RazaZimbabweSri LankaHarareDrawn
7/145R. AshwinIndiaSouth AfricaVisakhapatnamWon
6/66Mitchell StarcAustraliaPakistanAdelaideWon
5/22Ishant SharmaIndiaBangladeshKolkataWon

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

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Best bowling in a match

Bowling figuresBowlerCountryOpponentVenueResult
10/118Nathan LyonAustraliaNew ZealandSydneyWon
10/121Rahkeem CornwallWest IndiesAfghanistanLucknowWon
9/78Ishant SharmaIndiaBangladeshKolkataWon
9/97Mitchell StarcAustraliaNew ZealandPerthWon
9/100Mark WoodEnglandSouth AfricaJohannesburgWon

 

Leading wicket-takers this season

WicketsBowlerCountryMatchesInningsBest bowlingAverageStrike rate5 wickets in an innings10 wickets in a match
33Tim SoutheeNew Zealand6115/6122.1546.1520
32Neil WagnerNew Zealand6115/4421.6249.2520
29Mitchell StarcAustralia5106/6617.4434.2420
27Nathan LyonAustralia5105/5021.9644.7431
27Mohammed ShamiIndia7135/3518.9238.1110
25Umesh YadavIndia5105/5316.2028.9611

 

Hat-tricks

BowlerBowling figuresCountryOpponentVenueResult
Naseem Shah4/26PakistanSri LankaRawalpindiWon

 

Best all-round performance in a Test match

PlayerBatting 1Batting 2Bowling 1Bowling 2CountryOpponentVenueResult
Sikandar Raza72347/1131/63ZimbabweSri LankaHarareDrawn
Keshav Maharaj0715/180--South AfricaEnglandPort ElizabethLost

 

Best all-rounders this season

RunsWicketsPlayerCountryTests
30915Ravindra JadejaIndia6
46312Ben StokesEngland6
28212Colin de GrandhommeNew Zealand6