What do Padikkal and Sangakkara have in common?

Virat Kohli has not made a three-figure score for some time now. Is this the longest he has gone through without one? – K Satish on Twitter    

Virat Kohli’s last international century came in the day-night Test match against Bangladesh at Kolkata on 23 November 2019 when he made the 136 on the second day of the Test match. Since then, until the end of the 2nd T20I match at Ahmedabad on 14 March 2021, he has not made a three-figure score in his last 38 innings. This is the longest he has gone without a century in his international career so far. 

Interestingly, just after his Kolkata Test century, he made an unbeaten 94 in the T20 international against the West Indies at Hyderabad on 6 Dec 2019, which is the highest in his last 38 innings. During his period, he has managed to aggregate 1359 runs at an average of 39.97, inclusive of 13 scores in the fifties! The graphic below lists all the longest sequences Kohli has been without scoring a century in international cricket.

There were four ducks in India’s victory by an innings in the fourth Test match at Ahmedabad. Is this unusual for a side winning by an innings to record four ducks? – K Satish on Twitter    

This is indeed a rare occurrence in Test cricket. There have been only four instances in Test cricket history when a side with four or more ducks in the only innings they got to bat, won by an innings. South Africa holds this record, with five ducks, when Neil McKenzie, AB de Villiers, Morne Morkel, Monde Zondeki, Makhaya Ntini all made ducks against Bangladesh at Centurion in November 2008 and yet won the Test by an innings and 48 runs.

Is Axar Patel’s 27 wickets in the recent Test series on debut a record? – Harish Patel on Twitter    

In Test cricket, 11 bowlers have claimed more than 27 wickets in their debut Test series. Therefore, Axar Patel's tally of 27 wickets is not in the top ten. Australian paceman Terry Alderman with 42 wickets in the six-match Ashes series in 1981 currently holds the record for the most wickets by a debutant in a Test series. 

However, what is unique about Patel’s effort is that he claimed 27 wickets while playing only three Tests in the series. This tally is a record by a Test debutant appearing in only three Test matches. Patel’s tally of 27 wickets is also now the joint best by an Indian (he shares with another left-armer Dilip Doshi) and is also the joint third-best any spinner in Test cricket history. 

Notes: 

** Except in the case of Axar Patel, all the above series, were of three matches.

** The pacers in the above list are Bedser and Clarke 

Notes: 

** Valentine and Ramadhin in 1950 and Doshi and Yadav in 1979 did it in the same series. 

** Both Yadav (in 1979) and Patel (in 2021) missed the opening Test match of their debut series.

Devdutt Padikkal recently missed scoring his fifth successive List A century. Who are the others with four? – Vignesh Mohan on Twitter

Playing for Karnataka, Devdutt Padikkal on 11 March 2021 made 64 against Mumbai at Delhi, thus missing the opportunity of becoming the first batsman in List A cricket (50 over games) history to register five successive centuries. 

Incidentally, this is the second time he has missed this record this season. Before the start of his four successive centuries, he had made a 97 against Bihar at Bangalore. He, however, now joins two other batsmen who also have four centuries in as many innings in List A cricket. The graphic below provides the details.

Note: (Sangakkara) 

** Sangakkara followed this with a 45 against South Africa at Sydney on 18 Mar 2015, before retiring from ODI cricket. 

** He is the only batsman in ODIs to make four consecutive centuries.

** All the above knocks coming at number three.

Note: (Petersen)

** After the third century Petersen played in a List A game vs Warrior at East London on 23 Oct 2015, but did not get to bat!

** He followed his above four centuries with a 37 and 107 in his next two games!

** All the above knocks coming at number three.

Note: (Padikkal)

** All the above knocks coming while opening the batting, at number two.

All records mentioned above are correct and updated till15 March 2021