Arbit Stats #60: Lower Order Muscle

Test Match #2238: India vs England

India suddenly find themselves in a spot of bother with half the team gone and trailing by 130 odd runs in the first innings. England start seeing a sliver of light for a Test win.

Enter the Indian bowling attack. But with the bat.

Ravichandran Ashwin (72), Ravindra Jadeja (90 and Jayant Yadav (55) pack in a lot of punch to take India to a a lead of 130 odd in the first innings.

And in the process becoming the first ever Indian batting (or maybe bowling trio) trio to score a fifty from positions 7, 8 and 9 in the same innings.

Certainly deserve a bonus with them doing all the bowling and batting.

Image from ESPNCricinfo

Ranji Trophy 16-17: Jharkhand vs Saurashtra

Match Summary: Saurashtra (277 & 144) lost to Jharkhand (477) by innings and 46 runs 

Points: Jharkhand 7, Saurashtra 0

Saurashtra were knocked off quickly on the first day. Although their tail wagged a bit to take the score to 277. Ashish Kumar and Shahbaz Nadeem were the wreckers in chief. In reply the Jharkhand batsmen blazed away with Ishan Kishan and Ishank Jaggi blasting big 100s with Jharkhand scoring 477 at a run rate of 4.58! Saurashtra ere knocked over quickly in the second innings with Samar Quadri picking 4 and Ashish picking 3 wickets.

Jharkhand even got the bonus point as they recorded their 3rd win of the season and seem set to qualify for the knock-outs for second year in a row.

Highlights

• Team Changes: In - Ajay Yadav, Sumit Kumar Samar Quadri. Out - Virat Singh, Sunny Gupta, Vikash Singh. 
• 14th first class century for Ishank Jaggi and his 3rd of this season. He also completed 4000 career runs.
• 4th first class century for Ishan Kishan, who also recorded his third of the season. Maybe its a good idea to take the keeping gloves off him.
• Ishank Jaggi received the Man-of-the-Match award.

Season Stats

Top Scorer: Ishan Kishan 595 @74.38

Most Wickets: Shahbaz Nadeem 29 @33.79
Player Count: 16

Points Tally - 26 after 6 games to retain 2nd spot behind Karnataka (29 from 5). Meanwhile Saurashtra remain in last place. Chances of qualification looking very bright at the moment.

Coming Up Next - Jharkhand sit out the next round of games before taking on 7th place  Assam

Ranji Trophy 16-17: Jharkhand vs Delhi

Match Summary: Jharkhand (473) drew with Delhi (334 & 484/ (f/o)) 

Points: Jharkhand 3, Delhi 1

After the previous game against Vidarbha, I had posted that it would be interesting to see the side-battle between two 19-year-old left-handed wicketkeeper batsman. And Boy! was I right. The Jharkhand vs Delhi game was reduced to a Ishan Kishan vs Rishabh Pant affair.

Delhi won the toss and put Jharkhand into bat. Jharkhand were soon 80 for 4 before Ishank Jaggi and Ishan Kishan joined forces. Kishan put up big stands with Jaggi, Kaushal Singh and Nadeem to take the score to 404 for 7. At the fall of Nadeem's wicket he opened and smashed 86 of the last 89 runs to take Jharkhand to a formidable 493. In the process breaking many Jharkhand batting records.

Delhi replied with Unmukt Chand and Rishabh Pant scoring 100s but there wasn't much support from the others as they folded up for 332. Jharkhand imposed the follow-on but Delhi easily cut into the deficit. The match was heading towards a draw when in walked Pant. And smashed a 67 ball 135 for his second century of the game with 13 sixes. Delhi decided to bat on and the game ended in a draw with Jharkhand getting 3 points on virtue of the first innings lead.

Highlights

• Team Changes: In - Sunny Gupta. Out - Ajay Yadav. 
• Ishan Kishan's records
• 273 - Highest first class score by any Jharkhand batsman.
• 14 - Joint most sixes in a single innings in Ranji Trophy
• 3rd first class century and during the course of the innings completed passed the 1000 run mark as well.
• Meanwhile Rishabh Pant blazed a faster than run-a-ball 100 in both innings and broke the record for fastest first-class century by an Indian in just 48 balls. And as for his first-class numbers his average is Bradmanesque and Strike Rate Sehwagesque.
• Ishan Kishan received the Man-of-the-Match award.

Season Stats

Top Scorer: Ishan Kishan 459 @65.57

Most Wickets: Shahbaz Nadeem 24 @35.67
Player Count: 15

Points Tally - 19 after 5 games to retain 2nd spot behind Karnataka (23 from 4). Meanwhile Delhi remain in 3rd place.

Coming Up Next - Saurashtra, who are at the bottom of the Group.

Arbit Stats #59: Un-out-able Kraigg

Test Match #2229: Pakistan vs West Indies

Kraigg Brathwaite became the first opening batsman ever to remain Not Out in Both innings of a Test Match.  A tremendous achivement which resulted in a rare West Indies Test victory.

To misquote Ian Bishop (and with apologies to Carlos) - "Kraigg Brathwaite! Remember the Name!!!"

Ranji Trophy 16-17: Jharkhand vs Vidarbha

Match Summary: Vidarbha (105 & 444) drew with Jharkhand (362/8d & 75/4)

Points: Jharkhand 3, Vidarbha 1

Well begun but just could not get over the line. Jharkhand won the toss and knocked out Vidarbha for 105 with debutante Vikash Singh being the pick of the bowlers. In reply Jharkhand grabbed a huge lead, bolstered by Jaggi's second consecutive century. They must have had their sights set on a bonus point victory but Vidarbha proved more difficult to dislodge in the second innings as they racked up 444 to set Jharkhand a target of 188. Jharkhand survived a wobbly start and closed down the shutters to gather 3 points from the game.

Highlights

• Team Changes: In - Vikash Singh. Out - Sunny Gupta. 
• Vikash Singh made his first class debut and picked up a 4-wicket haul in the first innings.
• Pratyush Singh got his first  highest Test score with his first fifty in just his second game. 
• 13th First Class century for Ishank Jaggi.
• Ajay Yadav reached 50 first class wickets at an average of under 19. Maybe a good time to move to a higher level.

Season Stats

Top Scorer: Ishank Jaggi 296 @49.33

Most Wickets: Shahbaz Nadeem 19 @31.63
Player Count: 15

Points Tally - 16 after 4 games to drop down to 2nd spot behind Karnataka. Meanwhile Vidarbha move up 1 place to 6th.

Coming Up Next - Delhi, who are currently 3rd in the Group. Interesting to watch the relative performances of India U-19 graduates Ishan Kishan & Rishabh Pant.