Top 10 stats from the India vs West Indies Test series

The recently concluded Test series between India and West Indies was an absolute delight for all those cricket buffs who like to put statistics above the game itself. So we here at Sportskeeda have tried to bring in front of you the top 10 stats from this series.

So here’s to a number laced reading.

1) During the third Test between India and West Indies at Mumbai; for the first time in Test history, the top 5 batsmen from both the sides managed to score a quarter century i.e 25 runs. (First innings)

2) In the same innings West Indies also posted a new record in which all of their top 6 batsmen managed to cross 50 runs. This was only the 5th time in Test history that such an event occurred. India unfortunately were on the receiving end thrice. Building up on the same stat all the top 6 West Indian batsmen actually managed to cross 60 runs, it was only for the second time in Test history that a team has managed to do that.

3) The Darren Bravo and Brian Lara similarities are there for everyone to see, but in the 2nd and the 3rd Test match of the series, Bravo playing his 12th Test has managed to match up exactly to Lara’s Test batting records at the same point of their career.

Lara after 12 Tests: 941 runs Bravo after 12 Tests: 941 runs Lara after 13 Tests: 1108 runs Bravo after 13 Tests(at the end of first innings): 1107 runs

Unfortunately though, Lara in his 16th Test match scored the then world record score of 375 runs against the English side and it would take Bravo one hell of an effort to match that record.

4) However innocuous medium pacers may seem, Darren Sammy currently finds himself listed in the ‘top 5 bowling averages of fast bowlers’ who are currently active in the international circuit. Here’s the list (Criteria:50 wickets)

Bowler Matches Wickets Average

Dale Steyn 48 249 23.15

Steven Finn 12 50 26.92

Shane Watson 32 56 28.01

Morne Morkel 33 121 29.84

Darren Sammy 21 59 30.05

5) The spectacular start by Ravichandran Ashwin to his Test career also meant that he figured in a rather elite list, that of scoring a 100 and picking up a five wicket haul in the same Test. He was only the 3rd Indian to do so after Polly Umrigar and Vinoo Mankad. He was also the first Indian ever to do it in his debut series. He achieved the feat after he took 5/156 in the first innings and followed it up with his 103 in the third Test match at Mumbai against West Indies.

6) Ravichandran Ashwin’s knock of 103 was the third fastest century by an Indian batsmen at No.8. The other two quick scorers were Kapil Dev and another off spinner, a certain Turbanator by the name Harbhajan Singh. Here’s the breakdown:

Kapil Dev : 116 off 98 balls vs England, Kanpur, 1982. (Strike Rate: 118.36)

Harbhajan Singh : 111* off 116 balls vs New Zealand,2010. (Strike Rate 95.68)

Ravichandran Ashwin: 103 off 118 balls vs West Indies, 2011.(Strike Rate 87.28)

7) In the last seven Test innings prior to the one against West Indies, whenever Sachin Tendulkar had ended a day with the score between 60-80 runs not out, he went on to score a century in the next morning. However, this time (67 not out overnight) he failed to match up with his record and perished for 94.

8) The third Test match at the Wankhede saw the highest number of 50+ scores recorded in the first innings of a Test match. Out of the possible 22 innings, 11 players managed to cross 50 runs. The previous record was of 10 players during the England vs Australia Test match at Manchester way back in 1934.

9) Rahul Dravid during the course of this Test series managed to go past the 13,000 run mark. He is only the second player to reach this mark after Sachin Tendulkar. He also managed to score 1000 runs in Test matches this year. He accomplished this feat for the fourth time in his career. Also he is the second oldest man to reach 1000 runs in a calendar year. Don Bradman back in 1948 was the oldest player to reach 1000 runs, at the age of 40.

10) Umesh Yadav’s Test debut was actually the second best Test debut series by an Indian fast bowler in terms of bowling average. The first bowler on this list is another Indian pace bowler, Praveen Kumar, who achieved the feat when India toured West Indies in 2011. Here’s the breakdown.

Name Matches Wickets Bowling Average

Praveen Kumar 3 12 21.16

Umesh Yadav 2 9 21.22

Special Mentions:

The third Test match between India vs West Indies was only the second match in the history of Test cricket which ended in a draw even though the runs were tied after the end of the match. The earlier instance happened in a Test match between Zimbabwe and England at Bulawayo.

Even though everyone has really magnified Sachin’s getting himself out before making history at Wankhede, he went on to make a new record in the very same innings when he scored his 63rd fifty. He is now currently tied with Allan Border at the top position for the most number of half centuries by a batsman in Test cricket.

India has not managed to whitewash any team at home in the last 18 years. The last time they did that, it was against Sri Lanka in 1993/94, when they won the series 3-0. (Criteria: 3 Test matches or more)