5 interesting cricket facts that you probably did not know

It is said that records are meant to be broken. A number of records have been made and broken since the first cricket match was played. There are many well-known records that most of us have heard of.

One cannot really predict the outcome of a game until the last ball has been bowled. Often we get to see a few unpredictable performances that really bring a whole new level of excitement to the game.

When stereotypes are broken, the unpredictable nature of the game is summed up; and the result of these performances are that a few records are held by some cricketer with whom those records would have never been associated.

Let’s take a look at 5 of the most interesting cricket facts that you probably never knew.

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#1 Rahul Dravid: Batsman bowled out most number of times in Test cricket

Rahul Dravid has been bowled 54 times

This surely has to be the most unexpected records given that Rahul Dravid’s defense was so solid that he was given the sobriquet of ‘The Wall’. However, that very defense has been breached the most number of times in Tests, a record 54 times.

During the first half of his 16-year long international career (1996-2004), he was bowled 26 times. This is mainly because he was evolving as a batsman and was therefore bound to be a little vulnerable. However, it was during the fag end of his career when his defense was breached time and again.

Of the last 13 innings that the former Indian captain played, he was bowled in 9 of them. He had a particularly hard time during his final Test series, the tour of Australia in 2011-12, wherein he was bowled 6 times in 8 innings.

#2 Wasim Akram: Batsman to have hit most number of sixes in a Test innings

Wasim Akram was a handy batsman as well

Given the array of big hitters like Sir Viv Richards, Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle and Shahid Afridi who have played the game till date, it is surprising that the record for the most number of sixes in a Test innings is held by Wasim Akram, a lower-order batsman.

During one innings, the Sultan of Swing remained unbeaten on 257 off 363 balls, against Zimbabwe in 1996. His breathtaking knock comprised of 22 fours and 12 sixes. This leads us to another unexpected fact: Wasim Akram’s highest test score (257*) is greater than that of Sachin Tendulkar's (248*)!

#3 Ricky ponting: Only player to have scored a century in both innings of his 100th Test match

Ponting achieved the feat against South Africa

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting led his country in what turned out to be a golden era of cricket for them. That great man made an interesting record, in which he scored a century in both innings of his 100th Test match. This came against the South Africans in Sydney in 2006. After he made 120 in the first innings, he scored an unbeaten 143 off just 159 balls in the second, thus helping his team chase down 287 in the fourth innings on the final day of the Test match.

#4 Shahid Afridi: Used Sachin Tendulkar's bat to hit the then-fastest ever ODI century

Afridi is one of the most-loved players

Shahid Afridi is considered as a consistent and dependable batsman. He is one of the greatest all rounders and is known for his cricketing ability. Once he was flown in to play for the Pakistan team from West Indies to Nairobi in 1996 and didn't have a proper bat. That's when Waqar Younis gave 'Young Afridi' Sachin Tendulkar’s bat.

Afridi hit 11 sixes and six boundaries with the bat and scored a 37-ball century against Sri Lanka, which was the then-fastest ODI century. The record, broken later by Corey Anderson (36 balls), now belongs to South Africa's AB de Villiers (31 balls).

#5 Chris Gayle: Only batsman to hit a six off the first ball of a Test match

Universe boss playing like a pro

Chris Gayle is known for his exceptional skills of batting and ability of power hitting. His strength helps him muscle the ball over the fence. He made his international debut for the West Indies against India in 1999, just 10 days short of his 20th birthday, and his Test debut soon after in 2000 against Zimbabwe. In the 137 years of Test cricket no cricketer has ever hit a six off the first ball of a Test match.

In the 2,027th Test match Chris Gayle became the first player ever to hit a six off the first ball. The West Indies left-hander hit Bangladesh's debutant Sohag Gazi over long-on in the first Test in Dhaka in November 2012.