Cricket Facts And Stories That Beggar Belief But Are True

Cricket, just like every other game, is full of legends and stories that continue to enthrall the folklore across the globe. It is also a game dominated by numbers and feats. Even after the retirement of their favorite stars, fans continue to reminisce about their record-breaking feats.

But, some of the cricket records or feats still beggar belief. For example, what if I told you that Sachin Tendulkar has more five-wicket-hauls than the legendary Shane Warne in ODI cricket? Or that the West Indies are still to win a 50-over World Cup? Or that Sanath Jayasuriya has the most number of ducks in 50-over cricket? You’ll be gobsmacked, right?

Here are some other cricket facts and stories that beggar belief but are true:

Ajinkya Rahane made his First-Class debut in Pakistan

He may have never played an international match in Pakistan but many cricket fans will find it hard to believe that Ajinkya Rahane, the current Indian Test vice-captain, made his First-Class debut for Mumbai in Pakistan.

Yep! Rahane made his FC debut in September 2007 against Karachi Urban in the Mohammad Nissar Trophy- an annual match held between the most recent winner of Ranji Trophy and Qaid-e-Azam Trophy.

Rahane opened the batting for Mumbai and smashed a brilliant 143 off 207, an innings which included 28 boundaries. Mumbai racked up 6-623 in their first innings before enforcing the follow-on on Karachi Urban. The game eventually meandered towards a draw but Mumbai clinched the title on the basis of a first-innings lead.

Wasim Akram highest Test score is more than that of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Jacques Kallis

The ‘Sultan of Swing’ was a pretty handy batsman in his own right. But even he would struggle to come to terms with the fact that his highest Test score is more than some of the greatest batsman of his era- Sachin Tendulkar [248 vs Bangladesh], Sourav Ganguly [239 vs Pakistan] and Jacques Kallis [224 vs Sri Lanka].

Akram’s finest hour as a Test batsman came in a 1996 Test match against Zimbabwe in Sheikhpura. Coming into bat at No.8, with his side reeling at 7-237 in response to Zimbabwe’s 375, Akram led from the front and smashed a whirlwind knock of 257 off 363 balls- an innings which included 22 fours and 12 sixes.

Rahul Dravid has the second-fastest ODI fifty for India; he also smashed three consecutive sixes on his T20I debut

Gobsmacked, right? Well! Your reaction pretty much sums up the story of Rahul Dravid– the limited-overs batsman.

In a team blessed with natural stroke players like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, and many others, Dravid was perceived as an afterthought in white-ball cricket, but the right-hander always proceeded to punch above his weight and time and again remind everyone of his precocious abilities.

Dravid showed that to the hilt during a 2003 ODI against New Zealand where he smoked the Kiwi bowling attack to all corners of the stadium in Hyderabad.

The former Indian captain came inches close to breaking Ajit Agarkar’s record of scoring the fastest-ever half-century for India in 50-over cricket. Dravid smashed a 22-ball 50- an innings which included five fours and three sixes.

Dravid is the joint-fastest to score an ODI half-century for India alongside Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, and Kapil Dev.

8 years later, Dravid made his T20I debut, and guess what, he celebrated it by smoking three consecutive sixes off Samit Patel. Dravid smashed a brilliant 21-ball 31 and even though India eventually lost the game, the sight of ‘The Wall’ dancing down the track and smoking the bowler over his head still remains a lasting memory.

Adam Gilchrist quashes the Lankans with a squash ball in his gloves

Not many players would dare to experiment with their grip or batting technique before a World Cup final. But then, not many players can boast of the precocious abilities that Adam Gilchrist possessed.

The swashbuckling Australian was at his breathtaking best in the 2007 World Cup final. After having a relatively quite World Cup campaign, Gilly sought advice of his batting coach, who asked him to place a squash ball inside his gloves in order to improve the pace of his bottom hand movement.

Gilly followed the advice and what followed was mayhem of the highest order. The former Australian opener proceeded to pulverize the Sri Lankan attack to the tune of 149, an innings that you could only marvel with open mouth, tremble, and accepts its inevitability.

Ajit Agarkar has scored the fastest 50 by an Indian in ODIs, he also has a Test hundred at Lord’s while Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting don’t!

You may troll him for his five consecutive ducks during the 1999-00 Test series in Australia but Ajit Agarkar did have a lot of good days as a batsman in international cricket.

Agarkar still holds the record of scoring the fastest 50 in ODI cricket for India- a feat that he achieved against Zimbabwe back in 2000. Agarkar, who finished with a 25-ball 67, smoked a 21-ball 50, an innings which included seven fours and four monstrous sixes. 20 years later, the record still stands.

Two years later, Agarwal etched his name on the Lord’s honor board when he scored his maiden Test century, something the like of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara and Jacques Kallis weren’t able to achieve during their celebrated careers’.

India is the only team to win 60-over, 50-over and T20 World Cups

It is a record that will stand the test of time and will never be broken. Why? Simply because we don’t have 60-over World Cups anymore.

The first three World Cups were played in a 60-over format. India is the only other team apart from the West Indies to have won the 60-over World Cup courtesy their 1983 triumph.

The Men in Blue added another feat to their kitty when they became the first team to win the T20 World Cup in 2007. Four years later, India completed a rare treble- 60, 50 and 20-over World Cup- when they defeated Sri Lanka to become the first side to win the quadrennial event on home soil.

Rahul Dravid has the most number of bowled dismissals in Test cricket while Sachin Tendulkar was bowled the most number of times in ODI cricket

Once again, it beggars belief that ‘The Wall’ Rahul Dravid holds the record for being bowled the most number of times in Test cricket. Dravid had a watertight defense but the last 6-7 months of his career saw his reflexes get slowed down considerably.

The Indian No.3 was dismissed was clean-bowled 9 times in his last 13 innings and on 7 occasions in the last eight innings during the 2011-12 Test series against Australia, taking his overall tally of bowled dismissals to a record 55, one less than Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar’s 54.

In ODI cricket, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar holds the unwarranted record of most bowled dismissals. Sachin was bowled for a record 68 time[in 452 innings] in 50-over cricket.

Sachin Tendulkar is the only bowler to defend six runs in the last over of an ODI twice

Apart from all the batting records that he has under his name, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar also has a unique feat to boast of as a bowler in ODI cricket.

Sachin is the only bowler in the history of the game to defend six or fewer runs in the last over of an ODI on two different occasions. Tendulkar first achieved the feat when he successfully defended 6 runs (he gave away just 3) against South Africa in the 1993 Hero Cup semi-final.

Three years later, he did the same against Australia in Mohali. Incredible, right?

92 runs in a mere four deliveries

Believe it or not, this actually happened during a Dhaka League Division 03 match in Bangladesh back in 2017 where a bowler- Sujon Mahmud, while playing for Lalmatia Club conceded as many as 65 wides and bowled 15 no-balls in an over that lasted for 20 deliveries, deliberately giving away as many as 92 runs in the space of four legitimate deliveries.

It meant that Axiom Cricketers chased down a total of 89 in a mere four balls. It later emerged that Mahmud’s bowling was a protest against what his side had alleged was biased umpiring against them.

“It started at the toss. My captain was not allowed to see the coin and we were sent to bat first and as expected, the umpires’ decisions came against us. My players are young, aged around 17, 18, and 19. They could not tolerate the injustice and thus reacted by giving away 92 runs in four deliveries.” Adnan Ahmed, Lalmatia’s general secretary had told Dhaka Tribune.

Also Read: Captains Who Achieved A Double Of 1000+ Runs And 100+ Wickets In Test History