When did India last play a Test match without both Ishant and Rohit?

It does seem now that India will go into the first Test match at Adelaide without Ishant Sharma and Rohit Sharma. When was the last time India played a Test without the services of both Ishant and Rohit? – Manjit Singh on Facebook

The duo did not play in India’s last Test match at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch in March 2020. And before that they did not appear in the Sydney Test match in January 2019.  For the record, since Rohit’s Test debut in November 2013, they have together missed 15 Tests (9 in India and 6 away) in a total of 70 Tests played by India. During these 15 Test matches, India won 10, lost 2 and drew 3 (win% 66.67). The only losses came at Old Trafford in 2014 and at Christchurch earlier this year.

The table below lists the last five Test matches, with results in which both Rohit and Ishant Sharma did not play for India.

In the 1st T20I match at Rawalpindi Pakistan captain Babar Azam made 82, while his opposing captain Chibhabha was dismissed for a duck. How often this has happened? – Sudhir Kumar on Facebook

One captain making a fifty-plus score, while the other dismissed for a duck has occurred on eight occasions in T20I cricket. This also includes an instance of a captain making a hundred and the other a duck, when Rohit Sharma made 118 (with a 100 in 35 balls, the joint-fastest in T20I cricket) , while his counterpart Thisara Perera of Sri Lanka recorded a golden duck in the Indore T20I match on 22 Dec 2017. The table below has the details.

Notes: 

** Both Mohd Hafeez and Perera were dismissed for a first ball duck!

** Drummond was on his T20I debut for Scotland and was run-out without facing a ball!

In the first Sydney ODI the top three Australian batsmen aggregated 288 runs. Is this the maximum against India. What is the most for Australia? – Vijaysinh Rathod on Twitter

The top three Australian batsmen aggregating 288 runs is the third-most scored by numbers 1 to 3 against India in ODI cricket, while it was the fifth highest by the top three Australian batsmen. The two tables provide the details.

Note: India batting first won the Rajkot ODI, and the Hobart ODI batting second.

Note: Australia lost the Johannesburg ODI

Is Steve Smith’s recent ODI century one of the quickest against India? – Akhil Kumar on Facebook

Now Steve Smith’s recent twin centuries at Sydney are now the joint fifth-quickest by a batsman to reach his 100th run against India in ODIs – both the landmarks coming in exactly 62 balls! For the record, Smith’s twin centuries at Sydney are now the joint third-quickest by an Aussie batsman in ODI cricket. The tables below have the details.  

Note: Smith (above) in successive games.

All records mentioned above are correct and updated as on 29 November 2020.

If you have any cricket-related questions, then ask them using the #AskMohan and #StatsBurst hashtags on our social media channels. Reputed statistician, Mohandas Menon will be answering the selected questions.