In cricket, we like seeing batsmen hitting strokes that look elegant but the fun is different when we see players down the order hit strokes as good as the batsmen up top.
However, there are quite a few bowlers who hold some very unique records, not in their primary role but with the bat. Let's dive into detail.
Fastest Test innings
There's a general tendency for tailenders to either go to defend every ball or go all guns blazing on every ball you face. It's quite evident that here it was the latter that took place.
Umesh Yadav, a bowler known to bowl lightning-fast deliveries decided to take the scoring responsibilities in his hand against South Africa at Ranchi in the 2019/20 series.
Umesh scored 31 runs from only 10 balls out and 30 runs came through sixes. The five sixes helped Umesh become the record holder for the highest score by any player in a Test innings without hitting a four.
Highest SR in an inngs in Tests (25+ runs)
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) October 20, 2019
310 U Yadav (31/10) v SA Ranchi 2019/20
282 S Fleming (31*/11) v SA Auckland 2003/04
278 R Harris (25/9) v Ind SCG 2014/15
264 M Muralitharan (29/11) v Ind Kanpur 2009/10#INDvSA
Yadav recorded a super strike rate of 310, the highest for any Test cricketer and he also became the first player with a 300+ strike rate in a Test inning of 30+ runs or 10+ balls.
Umesh Yadav now is also only the third player after Fofie Williams and Sachin Tendulkar to hit consecutive sixes on the first two balls of the innings. Williams was the first to do against England in 1948, while Sachin did it in 2013 against Australia.
Most Not Outs
It's not Joe Root or Virat Kohli or Steve Smith but the record for the most not outs in Test cricket history is with James Anderson, having stayed unbeaten on 89 occasions.
Anderson has 151 Test appearances which is also the most for a specialist bowler. When we talk about pure batsmen and this record, Shivnarine Chanderpaul leads the way with 49 not-outs. However, when we consider international cricket in general, MS Dhoni, the most successful skipper in the sport holds the record with 142 not outs, Anderson is second with 135. Dhoni though has the most unbeaten innings in ODIs and T20Is with 84 and 42 respectively.
Most sixes in a Test innings
Talking about hitting balls out of the park in the longest format of the game, Wasim Akram, a spectacular bowler but a handy bottom-order batsman showed by he's one of the best to have graced the sport.
It was also the day when Wasim Akram registered his highest ever Test score of 257* against Zimbabwe in 1996 leading Pakistan. His record for 12 sixes in a Test innings is still unbeaten and it was surely a day to remember as the skipper saved the match for his nation.
Most sixes on Test debut
Debuts are tough to perform and very often, players get anxious in standing by the saying "First impression is the last impression". However, this player didn't care about anyone and we saw this regularly as he progressed in his professional career.
Tim Southee holds the record for the most sixes scored on Test debut, firing 9 balls out of the ground. No other batsman has managed to score more than five on debut.
The King of Nightwatchmen
Night watchmen are usually assigned with a specific role and that is mostly to avoid any wickets falling towards the end of a day's play.
However, Jason Gillespie scripted history when he fired 201* runs against Bangladesh in 2006, and become the only night-watchman to have a 200. It was a 320-run partnership with Michael Hussey, guiding Australia to 581. Gillespie faced 425 balls and batted for 574 minutes, proving he was much more than a match-saver.
Gillespie over his career has had many crucial match-saving performances and partnerships to his name.
What do you think? Which one is your favorite? Let us know! Stay tuned for more updates!
Cover Credits: Crickettimes
