INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT CRICKET

1. Shahid Afridi used Sachin Tendulkar’s bat to hit the fastest ever ODI century

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Shahid Afridi was flown in to play for the Pakistan team from West Indies to Nairobi in 1996 and didn’t have a proper bat. That’s when Waqar Younis gave ‘Young Afridi’ Sachin Tendulkar’s bat. Afridi hit 11 sixes and six boundaries with the bat and scored a 37-ball century against Sri Lanka which was the then fastest ODI century. The record now belongs to New Zealand's Corey Anderson. 

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

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In the 137 years of Test cricket no cricketer has ever hit a six off the first ball of a Test match. Audacious Chris Gayle achieved this feat against Bangladesh in 2012 off debutant Sohag Gazi.

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

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When Abbas Ali Baig reached a half-century in the third Test match against Australia at the Brabourne Stadium in 1960, a pretty young girl ran all the way from the North Stand to greet the batsman. She kissed Baig on his cheek.

4. Vinod Kambli’s Test match average is better than his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar

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Vinod Kambli played only 17 Test matches which included two back to back double tons. Kambli’s Test average is 54.20 while his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar averages 53.78 after 200 Tests.

5. Sunil Gavaskar was out off the first ball of a Test match thrice in his career

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Sunil Gavaskar was the first batsman to reach 10,000 Test runs and he ended his career scoring 34 Test centuries. But did you know he was out three times off the first ball of a Test? The bowlers to dismiss him were: Geoff Arnold (Edgbaston, 1974), Malcolm Marshall (Kolkata, 1984) and Imran Khan (Jaipur, 1987). 

6. ML Jaisimha and Ravi Shastri are the only Indians to bat on all five days of a Test

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7. The only cricketer to play Test cricket for India and England is Saif Ali Khan’s grandfather, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi

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8. Lala Amarnath is the only bowler to dismiss Don Bradman hit wicket in Test cricket

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This happened in the 1948 Brisbane Test.

9. There’s an uncanny similarity between the Indo-Pak match at the Australasia Cup of 1986 and Asia Cup 2014

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10. India won the 1983 World Cup and won their first ever Test at Lord’s three years later in 1986.

India won their second World Cup 28 years later in 2011 and remarkably won their second ever Test at Lord’s three years later in 2014.

BY Sarang Bhalerao