Which former batsmen's replacement is the Indian cricket team missing even now?

 In Kohli we have a proxy for Sachin. In Ashwin you can find an intelligent Harbhajan. In Pujara and Rahane combined you will see shadows of Dravid but if we talk in particularly about a batsmen whose replacement has yet not been found, my answer would be Virender Sehwag.

Now, this is again debatable with the super form of Rohit Sharma in ODIs, T20s and now in tests but even Rohit Sharma is not the batsman who will hit you with ball 1. Indeed he is a batting giant and score daddy hundreds in ODIs but he take his time initially and that strategy backfires sometimes because the Power Play is wasted. On the brighter side this happens not so often :)

Having said this, Virender Sehwag scored 8124 runs at an average of 50.14 and a strike-rate of 83.06. That strike-rate meant that when he was at the wicket, the match moved forward.

It is incredible that Sehwag achieved so much in his career with minimum footwork but one thing that goes his way was top class hand-eye coordination. If he is in the zone the match may finish on Day 1. Even if he departs early he had capabilities to hijack bare minimum opening session by producing fiery 30s and 40s and in the process a stormy opening for Team India.

Shikhar Dhawan was a pretty aggressive batsman but his strike-rate is 66.94. Still pretty high by Test standards. But Sehwag’s strike-rate was 83.06. When the right-hander from Najafgarh got a start, India would take charge of the game.

Murali Vijay used to take plenty of time. A good opener but remotely closer to Sehwag.

KL Rahul is a player with great technique. He is aggressive too. KL’s inconsistent form has been his biggest enemy and led to his downfall.

Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal are just making baby steps as openers and comparison with Sehwag will be irrelevant

Now with Rohit Sharma 2.0 hopes are again phoenix-ed but it is still a long way to call him Sehwag’s replacement. Screenshots below will help us to understand why?

When Sehwag was in the crease,this type of scorecard wasn't shocking in ODI's.

VB Series. Venue: Australia. Result: first ball Six

The pitch is dangerous, the spinner is a mystery: NOT FOR ME

Team score 141–0, Meanwhile Sehwag

This is before T20 era

We need another 300. Sehwag: Noted

What are some rare pictures that we have never seen in cricket?

 Some rare/unseen pictures on/off cricketing field.

Some unusual celebration style.

This doesn't happens a lot. 4 batsmen(2 runners) at a time on a pitch.

Johnty “flying” Rhodes running out Inzy.

Bee attack in ferozshah Kotla or players just getting some sleep.

Malcolm Marshall batting at No.11 with fractured hand(Respect)

When tea was served on the field.

Two great Indian legends on debut. Signature shots.

Dennis Lille deploying 9 slip fielders against New Zealand.

Last but the greatest.

So many cricketing legends in this picture.

Who holds the worst record in cricket which is unbeaten till now?

 

1. . Most ducks in ODIs:

Undoubtedly, playing against Sanath Jayasuriya in the mid-90s was nothing less than a nightmare for most bowlers. But while Jayasuria holds the record for one the fastest ODI 50 on just 17 balls, this is not his only record. He also has the record for most ducks, 34, in ODIs to his name. Surprisingly, the man next to him is Shahid Afridi, who scored the fastest ODI century on just 37 balls, with 30 ducks. The third in the row is legendary, Wasim Akram, with 28 ducks.

2. Most ducks in Test cricket:

Guess, who is Jayasuriya’s counterpart in Test cricket? Yes, the man with more than 500 Test wickets under his belt; former West Indian pacer Courtney Walsh was bowled 43 times on duck in 185 Test innings. Chris Martin of New Zealand is second with 36 ducks and the great Australian bowler, Glenn McGrath, is third in the row with 35 ducks in 138 innings.

3. Most expensive over in test cricket:

Though Anderson could not inflict any real damage to the Australian batting line, he remained successful at bowling the most expensive over of Test cricket history, when George Bailey scored 28 runs in Perth against him. Robin Peterson of South Africa shares the record with Anderson.

4. Golden duck in century tests:

Playing a 100 Test matches is itself a milestone but making the century Test memorable is exceptional. English skipper Alastair Cook is the only batsman of this special club with a golden duck in his 100th Test. Surprisingly, in his 99 previous Tests, Cook was never out on the first ball. But, in the second inning of his 100th Test played at Perth, he collected his first ever golden duck.

5. Lowest run score in T20I

The cricket team of Netherlands does not have many fond memories from 2014 T20 World cup. The team has also recorded the lowest team score in the same World-cup against Sri Lankan Team. In the match, the entire Netherland team surrendered at the score of 39 in just 10.3 overs. The Sri Lankan team had won this match just in 5 overs.

6. Maximum number of ducks in a T20I

Even though the explosive Sri Lankan batter Tillakaratne Dilshan is the third highest run-getter in the history of T20I, yet there is an embarrassing record of the cricketer that he would like to erase from the history of the cricket. Dilshan holds the record of the maximum number of ducks in T20I, the cricketer has gotten ducks at the 10 times.

7. Maximum number of extra runs in a T20I match

This unique and most embarrassing record was recorded in the first match of 2007 World T20, the match was played between West Indies and South Africa. In this match, while South Africa have just delivered 17 extras, the Windies team had delivered 28 extras. If one will sum-up then in this particular match 35 wides were thrown and the match also holds the world record for most wides in a match along with two no balls and eight leg byes.

Which cricket record is unbroken?

 Records are said to be broken but there are few records which are at least 25-30 years old and still unbroken. I am knowingly mentioning these records because the records set in ‘last 3 decades’ are more or less known to millennial including me:

1. Most runs in a test match

Graham Gooch scoring 333 in 1st innings and 123 in second innings of the test match against India in 1990 at mecca of Cricket- Lord’s. Thus he scored 456 runs in the match.

Lara (400), Mark Taylor(426) and Sangakarra (424) came closer but could not break this record.

2. Most runs in a Test series

Sir Don Bradman pipped Wally Hammond from the top seat in 1930 when he scored 974 runs in the Ashes. Recently, Steven Smith played 1 test less and scored 774 runs. But even if he had played that test match scoring another 200 runs was an unbelievable deal.

3. Most runs made by batsman in a day

Ashes, 1930 must be a memorabilia for Sir Don Bradman who scored 309 in a day’s play. In my memory, only Virender Sehwag who scored 284, 257, 228 in a day could have done the undoable.

4. Most runs in an series by a captain

Sir Don Bradman must have been the undisputed king of records. Here, in Ashes 1936 he scored 810 runs in as many as 5 test matches. In the last 20 years, only Graeme Smith (714), Steven Smith (687) and Virat Kohli (655) could be called competing for this record but they are remotely closer to Don.

5. Most runs in a series by a wicket-keeper

Who could have been holding this record? Sangakkara? Gilchrist? Boucher? Dhoni? No!

This record was set by, South African wicket-keeper, Denis Lindsay in 1966 in a series against Australia when he scored 606 runs in a 5-test matches series. Alas! his career lasted for just 19 tests.

Andy Flower made 540 runs in a 2 test match series against India. He could have surely overthrown Lindsay’s number but ICC’s test match planning as usual has been contentious.

6. Highest Test Career Batting Average

This record does rounds in Social Media when a Adam Voges or Steven Smith crosses batting average of 60. But this remain a wishful thinking that anyone who crosses 60 will also cross 99.94 set by Sir Don Bradman.

Had he been not dismissed for a duck his average would be in three figures. But you know cricket is a funny game :)

7. Most runs in debut match

You go to field for the first time and score a double hundred and a ton again in the same fixture. You must be Lawrence George Rowe from the Caribbean island. Rowe scored 314 runs (214–1st Innings & 100*- 2nd innings) on his debut in 1972

8. Most double hundreds in a career

This answer perhaps is dedicated to Don Bradman. He has scored 12 double hundred(s) in his career. Kumar Sangakkara came very close with 11. Right now, Virat Kohli, the Indian run machine is looking conditioned to be in this race with 7 doubles to his tally.

9. Youngest Player to score a double hundred

The dynamic Javed Miandad scored his first double hundred when he was 19 years 140 days old. Too young for a double, I reckon. He scored 163 in his debut match and the double hundred came in third match against New Zealand at Karachi. He must have been a sensation in Pakistan back then.

10. Best bowling figures in a match

They tell you that Anil Kumble emulated Jim Laker’s 10 wicket haul in an inning. But did they tell that Laker also took 9 wickets in the first innings of the match against Australia in 1956. He is accountable of a total of 19 wickets in a test match. His match stats were:

68.0- 27- 90- 19. Phenomenal!

Who is the most corrupt player in the history of cricket? Who has crossed all the limits of corruption?

 

Saleem Malik was regarded as one of the most gifted batsmen ever to have graced the game in his prime. The Pakistani cricketer was born on this day in 1963 and went on to achieve big things in the game.

With supple wrists, and silky timing, Malik dominated spinners all over the world but was equally adept against menacing fast bowling. Debuting in 1982, he played 103 Tests for Pakistan, scoring at an average of 43.69 with 15 centuries and 29 fifties to his name.

He is the only player from Pakistan to be handed a lifetime ban. Malik captained Pakistan in tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe before being suspended from cricket having been accused of bribery. He was however found innocent and allowed to continue his career.

He played his last Test match in January 1999 but ended his cricket career in disgrace, having been given a life ban as a result of Justice Qayyam's enquiry in May 2000

Warne's autobiography 'No Spin' released in 2018 has mention of an incident where the Australian (Warne) was allegedly offered USD 200,000 by none other than Pakistan cricketer Saleem Malik to bowl badly at the 1994 Test between the two nations in Karachi

In his own words “Saleem Malik offered me 200,000 US dollars, he said it will be in my room in half-an-hour if I bowl wide of the off-stump and the match was a draw. That's the bottom line of what he asked,"

What are some mind-blowing facts about cricket?

 1.The rules of cricket are made by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) Not by International Cricket Club (ICC).

2. Sachin Tendulkar was the first cricketer to be given out through Third umpire in 1992 against South Africa.

3.Shahid Afridi used Sachin Tendulkar's bat to hit the fastest ever ODI century.

4. First cricket world cup was held for women. Women world cup was played world in 1973 in England while Man world cup was played in 1975.

5. Belinda Clark was the cricketer to hit double century in ODI’s against Denmark in 1997. She made 229 runs in 155 balls smashing 22 fours.

6. Don Bradman got out on zero in his last innings. Had he scored just 4 runs, he would have retired with a test average of hundred.

7. Shahid Afridi holds the record of Fastest ball by spinner. The speed was 134.5 km/h against New Zealand 2010.

8. The fastest century ever scored in cricket was by Lindsay martin in 20 balls for rosewater against Warradale in 1987 smashing 13 sixes and 5 fours.

9. Most Runs in over was given by Bert Vance, when he gave 77 runs in one over (0444664614106666600401) in 1990 in shield trophy match in New Zealand with 17 no balls.

10.On the morning of 11/11/11 South Africa needed 111 runs to win at 11:11

This coincidence occurred during the first Test between South Africa and Australia at Cape Town. At 11:11, on 11/11/11, South Africa were 125 for 1 needing a further 111 runs for a win.

11. Len Hutton, Desmond Haynes Steve Waugh were each dismissed in seven different ways in their career.

12. Ramiz Raja was the first player given out through Obstructed the field in ODI. He got out on 99 against England in 1987 in that match.

13. Sanath Jayasuriya has most no of ducks (34) in all formats of international cricket.

14. Virat Kohli (109) and Ab de Villiers(129*) are the second Pair to hit Century in same innings in 20-20 after Kevin O’ Brien(119) and Hamish Marshall (102) in 2011.

15. Jonty Rhodes is the only player awarded man of the match while he was not in playing XI. He did miraculous fielding in the match and caught seven catches.

16. Jim Laker of England was the first player to take all 10 wickets in an innings in 1956 against the mighty Australia.

17. Amarnath, Andrew Hilditch and Daryll Cullinan are only players who had been given out through Handled the ball.

18. West indies are the only team that have on ODI’s world cup and 20-20 world cup twice.

19.Peter Siddle is the only bowler to take a hat-trick on his birthday.

20.Abbas Ali Baig was the first Indian cricketer to be kissed during a Test .

21.Chris Gayle is the only batsman to hit a six off the first ball of a Test.