Australia vs New Zealand, 2019-20: 3rd Test – Labuschagne's memorable season, A rare Test without big names for New Zealand, Lyon’s special with ball and more stats

Australia completed a whitewash in the 3-match Test series against New Zealand as they won the Sydney Test match by 200+ runs just like the first two games. Marnus Labuschagne, who started the season with his maiden Test ton, scored his maiden Test double ton in the last match.

Marnus finished with 215 as Australia posted 454 in their first innings. New Zealand, in reply, bowled out for 256 while the debutant Glenn Phillips top-scored with 52. Australia declared their 2nd innings on 217/2 as David Warner scored an unbeaten 117. New Zealand were bowled out for only 136 across two sessions on the 4th day.

All the statistical highlights from Australia’s 3rd straight win by 200+ runs against New Zealand:

A rare whitewash for New Zealand in Test cricket:

2 – This was only the 2nd time Australia have whitewashed New Zealand in a Test series of 3+ matches. The other instance came during the 3-match series in the 1999/00 tour of New Zealand.

2 – New Zealand have been whitewashed only two in a Test series of 3+ matches in the last 15 years. The other time they were whitewashed in a Test series was in the 3-match series on their tour of India in 2016/17 season.

A season to remember for Marnus Labuschagne:

1 – Marnus Labuschagne became the first player to record four 140+ scores in a Test season in Australia. He is also the 4th player with four 150+ score in an Australian Test season. Wally Hammond (1928-29), Sir Donald Bradman (1931-32 & 1936-37) and Ricky Ponting (2003-04) are the other three players with this feat.

4 – Marnus’ four centuries in this season are the joint 2nd most by any player in a Test season in Australia. Only Ricky Ponting (5 in 2005/06) has scored more than 4 Test 100s in an Australian Test season.

896 – Labuschagne aggregated 896 runs across 8 innings in this season; the 6th most by any player in an Australian Test season. These are also the most by any player in the previous 14 Test seasons in Australia.

A rare Test for New Zealand without their biggies:

1 – For the first time since the start of 2010, New Zealand played a Test match without any of Kane Williamson, Tim Southee and Trent Boult in the playing XI. The last Test played by New Zealand without any one of this trio was way back in December 2009 during the home Test series against Pakistan. Both Williamson and Boult were yet to make their Test debut then.

2 – The SCG Test was only the 2nd time since the start of 2013 that New Zealand played a Test match without one of Tim Southee and Trent Boult in the playing XI. The other such instance was during the 2017 Hamilton Test against South Africa.

3 – Only the 3rd time Kane Williamson has missed a Test match played by New Zealand since his debut in November 2010. He featured in 79 of the 82 Test matches NZ played in this period. The other two Tests he missed in this period – 2013 Dunedin Test vs West Indies and 2016 Kolkata Test vs India.

Nathan Lyon’s domination:

2 – Only the 2nd time in the last 15 years than a spin bowler ended up with 10 wickets in a Test match on Australian soil. Nathan Lyon, who took exactly 10 wickets in Sydney, had figures of 12/286 in the 2014 Adelaide Test against India, other instance of a spinner taking 10+ wickets in a Test hosted by Australia since 2005.

20 – Nathan Lyon’s 20 wickets in this series are the joint-most by any spin bowler in a 3-match Test series. B Yardley in the 1981/82 series against West Indies while Shane Warne in 1997/98 series against South Africa bagged 20 wickets apiece.

Anil Kumble took 24 wickets across 3 matches in the 2003/04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy which was a 4-match series. CR Miller also took 20 wickets in the 3 matches he played during the 4-match Test series against West Indies in 2000/01.

2000 – The last player before Lyon to take multiple 5-wicket hauls in a Sydney Test match was Glenn McGrath way back in 2000. Between 1994 and 2000, there were four instances of a player taking two 5-fers in a Test in Australia; all at the SCG.

Ross Taylor surpasses Stephen Fleming:

7174 – Runs Ross Taylor aggregated in his Test career thus far. He is now the highest run-getter for New Zealand in Test cricket surpassing Stephen Fleming’s 7172 runs. Taylor is already the leading run-scorer in ODI cricket and across all formats of International for New Zealand.

Steve Smith’s dry spell:

10 – Steve Smith now has spent 10 consecutive innings without a century in Test cricket; his 2nd longest streak in terms of innings batted in Tests without a century. Smith scored his first Test hundred in his 23rd innings in 2013.

In fact, the 2019/20 season is the first home season for Smith without a Test ton since his maiden Test century at home in the 2013/14 season.