Australia v Pakistan 2nd Test – Statistical Highlights

Pakistan finished 2016 in a dramatic way being bowled out for just 163 runs in 53.2 overs in their 2nd innings on the final day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground when they needed to survive 68 overs to draw the game. Earlier Australia declared their innings at 624/8 taking an 181-run lead after Azhar Ali’s records breaking double ton powered Pakistan to 443/9 in their first innings which was spread over 3 days as rain played its part. Here we look at all the stats and records recorded during the game.

1 – Azhar Ali became the first Pakistan player to score a double century in Australia. Majid Khan’s 158 in 1972 was the previous highest by a Pakistan player in Australia also at the MCG.

1 – Azhar Ali’s double century is the first in Tests by a Pakistani which came in losing cause. The previous highest individual score in losing cause in Tests by a Pakistan player was 197 by Mohammed Hafeez in 2014 at Sharjah vs New Zealand.

2 – Pakistan losing the game by an innings is only the 2nd instance of a team losing the game by an innings after declaring their innings. Australia lost to India at Hyderabad in 2013 after declaring their 1st innings at 237/9.

Also read- Australia v Pakistan 2nd Test – Australia Player Ratings

2 – Azhar Ali became the first Pakistani player to score two double tons in a calendar year in Test cricket.

3 – Steven Smith now has aggregated 1000 Test runs in 3 consecutive calendar years. He became the 5th player to this feat. Matthew Hayden, Brian Lara, Marcus Trescothick and Kevin Pietersen are the other four.

4 – Azhar Ali became only the 4th visiting opener to score a double ton in Test cricket in Australia. Eddi Barlow, Ravi Shastri and Alastair Cook are the other three.

5 – Pakistan lost the game by an innings after scoring 443 in the first innings while batting first is only the 5th such instance in Test cricket. Three of those have come in this month.

5 – Number of consecutive Test matches Pakistan have lost now. This is the 2nd time they have lost 5 Tests in a row. They lost 3 Tests to Australia and 2 to Sri Lanka in a row in 1999-2000.

5 – Number of centuries David Warner has scored with a strike rate of over 100 in Test cricket, the 3rd most by any player (of matches where ball-by-ball data is known). Only Gilchrist (7) and Sehwag (6) have done more often than Warner.

6 – Azhar Ali became the 6th player to score two double tons in a calendar year in Tests as an opener. Virender Sehwag in 2008 was the last one to do so.

7 – Number of Tests Pakistan have lost in 2016, the most by them in a calendar year.

Also read- Australia v Pakistan 2nd Test – Pakistan Player Ratings

7 – Number of sixes hit by Mitchell Starc in their first innings of this Test, the most by any player in a Test innings at MCG. He broke Andrew Symonds’ record of 6 sixes vs South Africa in 2nd innings in 2005.

90 – Innings taken by Steven Smith for his 17th Test century. Only Don Bradman (50), Sunil Gavaskar (81) and Hayden (82) took fewer innings than Smith for their 17th Test century.

207 – Runs conceded by Yasir Shah in Australia’s innings in this game, the 2nd most by any bowler in a Test in Australia. Muttiah Muralitharan conceded 224 runs at Perth in 1995.

624/8 – Australia’s total of 624/8 dec is the highest total at MCG in Test history. They overhauled their own record of 604 in 1937 vs England.

1198 – Runs scored in Test cricket by Azhar Ali in 2016, the 2nd most by a Pakistani in a calendar year. Mohammad Yousuf aggregated 1788 runs in 2006.

2385 – Runs aggregated by Steven Smith in Internationals in 2016, the 3rd most by any player as captain in a calendar year. Ricky Ponting aggregated 2833 runs in 2005 while Angelo Mathews scored 2404 runs in 2014.