Tuesday, January 24, 2006

The Number Game

from the third day of Faisalabad Test


0 – Number of centuries scored by Indian wicket-keepers against Pakistan before MS Dhoni’s hundred

2 – Number of centuries scored by Dravid against Pakistan as captain, equalling Sunil Gavaskar’s Indian record.

4 – Number of sixes hit by MS Dhoni – more than any other Indian wicket-keeper in an innings against Pakistan.

9 – Century partnerships between Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman – 5 for fifth wicket, 2 for fourth wicket and one each for second and third wickets.

21- Number of times Dravid has been involved in a run-out – third most by any player in Test cricket after Allan Border (29) and Steve Waugh (27). Dravid himself has been run-out on 9 occasions, while on 12 occasions partners had to suffer.

28 – Previous highest score by an Indian wicket-keeper in debut innings against Pakistan (at Chennai in 1986-87).

60.07- Average partnership runs between Dravid and VVS Laxman. The pair has so far aggregated 2463 runs in 46 innings.

66.25 – Dhoni’s batting average in Test cricket – highest by any ‘specialist’ Indian wicket-keeper. He moved ahead of Dilawar Hussain, who had a career average of 42.33

93 – number of balls taken by MS Dhoni to reach his hundred – fastest by an Indian wicket-keeper and seventh fastest by any wicket-keeper in Test matches.

160- unbroken partnership between Dhoni and Irfan Pathan for the sixth wicket – highest for India against Pakistan bettering 143-run partnership between Mohammad Azharuddin and Kapil Dev at Kolkata in 1986-87.

435.4 – Number of overs after which Rahul Dravid left the ground for the first time in this series.