Unexpected Records Achieved in International Cricket

There are a plethora of records in International cricket. The best of batsmen and bowlers have created history when they wrote new pages in the annals of the game. The players have been consistent right throughout their career to churn out the new records in the game. Meanwhile, there are some unexpected records in the game which is created by players who were not expected to make them.

We take a look at some unexpected records which are created by some unexpected players.

1. Misbah-ul-Haq: Second Fastest Test century. 

Misbah-ul-Haq was well known for batting in a sedate manner. However, the talisman batsman was on fire against Australia in the second Test match at Abu Dhabi in 2014. The right-hander had scored a fine knock of 101 runs from 168 balls in the first innings.

Meanwhile, when Pakistan was enjoying a healthy lead in the second innings, Misbah had the license of going after the Australian bowling. The Pakistan skipper completed his hundred off just 56 balls with the help of 11 fours and five sixes to level the fastest century with Sir Vivian Richards. Later, Brendon McCullum broke the record as he scored a 54-ball Test century against Australia at Christchurch.

2. Fastest Fifty by an Indian batsman in ODIs – Ajit Agarkar (21 balls)

India’s fast bowler Ajit Agarkar was mainly known for his bowling. However, Agarkar was a handy batsman down the order. The Mumbai all-rounder added the finishing touches to India’s innings to boost their total to 301 against Zimbabwe at Rajkot in 2000.

Agarkar completed his half-century off just 21 balls and scored a fine knock of 67 runs from 25 balls. The right-hander’s blistering knock was laden with seven fours and four sixes. India went on to win the contest by 39 runs.

3. Most sixes in a Test inning: Wasim Akram – 12.

Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram is generally recalled for his deadly fast bowling. However, Wasim Akram was on fire with the bat when he scored a gargantuan score of 257 runs against Zimbabwe in 1996 at Sheikhupura. Akram faced 363 balls and scored 22 fours in his massive innings.

The southpaw batsman smacked a dozen sixes in his mammoth innings as he helped Pakistan post 553 runs in the first innings. However, the match ended in a stalemate.

4. Most Runs conceded in an over in a Test format, James Anderson – 28.

James Anderson is one of the finest fast bowlers to have embraced the game. In fact, the swing master has scalped most wickets as a pacer in the longest format of the game. Meanwhile, James Anderson holds an unwanted joint-record to his name as he had conceded 28 runs against Australia in an over at Perth in 2013. George Bailey was on fire when he blasted Anderson to all corners of the park.

5. Sanath Jayasuriya has more ODI wickets and five-wicket hauls than Shane Warne:

Sri Lanka’s explosive batsman Sanath Jayasuriya was a handy off-spinner. Jayasuriya used to be right on the money and reaped fruits for the same. The southpaw spinner scalped 323 wickets in the 445 One Day Internationals he played. Jayasuriya bowled with an impressive economy rate of 4.79 and scalped four five-wicket hauls in the 50-overs version.

On the other hand, Shane Warne had 293 wickets in 194 ODI matches and took only one five-wicket haul in his One-Day career.

6. Sachin Tendulkar had more five-wicket hauls than Shane Warne:

Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne shared a great rivalry with each other during their playing days. Tendulkar mostly dominated Shane Warne in his career when he used bat against him. In fact, Sachin Tendulkar had scalped two five hauls in his ODI career as he took 154 wickets in 463 matches. On the other hand, Shane Warne had only a solitary five-wicket haul in his career.

7. Australia has lost three Test matches after enforcing the follow-on.

Australia has been a dominant force in the cricket world. However, the Australian team doesn’t have the best of records when they have enforced the follow-on. In fact, Australia is the only side who has lost a Test match after forcing the follow-on. The first two defeats came against England in 1894 and 1981 whereas they also lost the famous Kolkata Test when Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman rescued India from troubled waters.

8. Rahul Dravid: Bowled for 55 Times in Test cricket:

Rahul Dravid was known for his solid defence and thus he was named as the Wall. However, Rahul Dravid holds the unwanted record of getting bowled on 55 occasions, which the most in the red ball version. Thus, 19.23% of Rahul Dravid’s dismissals were bowled.