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Ricky Ponting’s previous record in India is a disaster for the Aussie. Ponting has scored a meagre 172 runs from 8 matches at a pathetic average of 12.28 with his best score being 60. His career average is at a terrific 58.37 from 119 matches. Yes, it is safe to say that he is the weakest link in this inexperienced Australian batting line-up. A lot is going to depend on him and Matthew Hayden during the 4 match series.
| Highest Team Totals (innings) |
Score | Year | Result |
| India | 705/7 dec | 2004 | Draw |
| Australia | 674/10 | 1948 | Won |
| Highest Individual Totals (innings) |
Player | Score | Year |
| India | VVS Laxman | 281 | 2001 |
| Australia | Ricky Ponting | 257 | 2003 |
| Best Bowling (innings) | Player | Figures | Year |
| India | JM Patel | 35.5-16-69-9 | 1959 |
| Australia | MR Whitney | 12.1-3-27-7 | 1992 |
| Best Bowling (match) | Player | Figures | Year |
| India | Harbhajan Singh | 80.1-26-217-15 | 2001 |
| Australia | AK Davidson | 77.4-30-124-12 | 1959 |
As Dean Jones so affectionately calls him, the Big Bear has finally put in the towel and announced his retirement (
Part 1 and
Part 2 of the presentation). I would like to, first of all, pay my tributes to a legend who has enriched the game by his spectacular batting. A man who announced himself on cricket’s biggest stage at the World Cup in 1992. Then a lanky 22 year old, Inzy has had a fruitful, eventful, and often controversial career. He has played some truly remarkable innings and has caused quite a few heartaches, thanks mostly to his legendary shocking running between the wickets.
Below is his career statistics, but figures don’t always tell the entire story. The game of cricket has truly lost a legend. From the incident that saw him almost maul a fan in Toronto, to his captaincy and Pakistan’s shocking ouster from the 2003 World Cup, the man has been involved in a lot of things.
| Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 120 | 8,830 | 49.60 | 54.02 | 25 | 46 |
| ODI | 378 | 11,739 | 39.52 | 74.24 | 10 | 83 |
The above stats are even more mind-boggling considering Inzy’s complete lack of a fitness regime. Hopefully, he will still be attached to the game as he still has a lot to offer.
Image source: Cricinfo.com
| Player | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 0 | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IR Bell (Eng) | 6 | 6 | 1 | 386 | 126* | 77.20 | 420 | 91.90 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 4 |
| SR Tendulkar (India) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 344 | 99 | 57.33 | 390 | 88.20 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 55 | 2 |
| Yuvraj Singh (India) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 255 | 72 | 42.50 | 281 | 90.74 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 4 |
| SC Ganguly (India) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 234 | 72 | 39.00 | 317 | 73.81 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 5 |
| R Dravid (India) | 6 | 6 | 1 | 223 | 92* | 44.60 | 226 | 98.67 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 4 |
| PD Collingwood (Eng) | 6 | 5 | 1 | 210 | 91* | 52.50 | 207 | 101.44 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 5 |
| AN Cook (Eng) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 182 | 102 | 30.33 | 241 | 75.51 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 0 |
| OA Shah (Eng) | 4 | 4 | 1 | 149 | 107* | 49.66 | 166 | 89.75 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
| MJ Prior (Eng) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 142 | 46 | 23.66 | 154 | 92.20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 |
| KP Pietersen (Eng) | 6 | 6 | 1 | 138 | 53 | 27.60 | 178 | 77.52 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
Muralitharan took his 700th wicket against Bangladesh as his team won a comprehensive victory by an innings and 193 runs. The 700th scalp was Syed Rasel. He now joins Shane Warne as only the second bowler in cricket history to cross the 700 wicket barrier in test matches. With only 8 more wickets required to become the leading wicket taker in tests, Muralitharan’s carrier could very well have been over even before it started. The bent elbow has been his Achilles’ Heel. It has provided him with the turn that he can generate off any surface and has landed him into a lot trouble as well.
| Wicket No. | Tests | Average | Strike Rate | 5wi | 10wm |
| 100 | 27 | 31.49 | 71.47 | 6 | 0 |
| 200 | 42 | 26.90 | 64.25 | 16 | 2 |
| 300 | 58 | 25.17 | 61.66 | 24 | 5 |
| 400 | 72 | 23.53 | 59.79 | 33 | 10 |
| 500 | 87 | 22.89 | 59.06 | 42 | 13 |
| 600 | 101 | 22.35 | 56.25 | 50 | 14 |
| 700 | 113 | 21.33 | 53.41 | 60 | 20 |