Yasir Shah’s worst numbers, a scarcity of five-wicket hauls, and other statistical highlights from Australia’s 3-0 sweep of Pakistan
Bharath Seervi08-Jan-20174.25 Australia’s scoring rate – the highest for any team in a series against Pakistan. They bettered India’s 4.22 in the 2005-06 tour. Australia, though, have had a better run rate than this in four series.60.54 Combined average of Pakistan’s bowlers – their second worst in any Test series of three or more matches. The only time they averaged worse was in England in 1962, when they averaged 63.83. Pakistan’s fast bowlers averaged 48.13 compared to Australia’s 27.64. Overall, their quickies average 39.26 in Australia, the worst in any country.
Team Bat Ave 100s SR Wkts Bowl Ave Eco Ave DiffAustralia 59.60 7 67.94 54 31.92 3.02 27.68Pakistan 29.01 3 49.94 33 60.54 4.17 -31.525 Pakistan bowlers to have sent down 30 or more overs and averaged over 50 – Rahat Ali (57), Mohammad Amir (61.60), Imran Khan (77), Yasir Shah (84) and Azhar Ali (103.50). Only once have they fared worse. When Australia visited them in 1998-99, they had six bowlers averaging over 50. The Pakistan bowler with the best average was Wahab Riaz, who picked up 11 wickets at 36.36.
Pakistan Wkts Ave Eco Australia Wkts Ave EcoWahab Riaz 11 36.36 4.00 Josh Hazlewood 15 19.60 1.99Sohail Khan 3 43.66 4.22 Steve O’Keefe 4 25.75 2.78Rahat Ali 2 57.00 3.56 Jackson Bird 10 29.20 3.24Mohammad Amir 5 61.60 3.20 Mitchell Starc 14 34.07 3.28Imran Khan 2 77.00 4.66 Nathan Lyon 11 45.63 3.66Yasir Shah 8 84.00 4.53Azhar Ali 2 103.50 5.753 Australia batsmen to have scored two centuries in the series – David Warner, Steven Smith and Peter Handscomb. Australia have had only two other series of three or fewer matches where this has happened – against South Africa in 2001-02 and West Indies in 2005-06. Smith and Handscomb also averaged over 100. Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke in the 2011-12 Border-Gavaskar Trophy was the only other series in which two Australia batsmen averaged over 100 after five or more innings.12.66 Misbah-ul-Haq’s average – the worst by any captain to have batted in five or more innings in the top seven in a series in Australia. The previous worst was Jeff Crowe’s 13 in 1987-88. Across all series, Misbah’s average is the third-worst by a Pakistan captain. Misbah’s average was a dismal 7.60 before it received a boost courtesy his 38 in the final innings of the series. On the contrary, Misbah’s opposite number, Steven Smith, finished with an average of 110.25.
Captain Inns Runs Ave HS YearMisbah-ul-Haq 6 76 12.66 38 2016-17Jeff Crowe 6 78 13.00 25 1987-88Johnny Douglas 5 70 14.00 35 1911-12Lala Amarnath 10 140 14.00 46 1947-48Greg Chappell 6 86 14.33 61 1981-821.99 Josh Hazlewood’s economy rate – the best for an Australia pacer to have bowled a minimum of 20 overs in a home series since Carl Rackermann’s 1.83 against the same opposition in 1989-90.672 Runs conceded by Yasir – the most by any bowler in three-Test series. He went past Muttiah Muralitharan, who conceded 649 runs against Australia at home in 2003-04. Anil Kumble, who played in three matches of the 2003-04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, gave away 710 runs, but the series comprised four matches. Yasir took eight wickets at an average of 84, strike rate of 111.1 and an economy of 4.53 – all of which are his worst numbers in any series.103.79 Warner’s strike rate. Among batsmen to have scored 300-plus runs in a series, it is the highest for an Australian – beating Adam Gilchrist’s 102.69 against New Zealand in 2004-05 – and the fifth-highest overall.0 Five-wicket hauls in the series – Mitchell Starc’s 4 for 36 at the MCG was the best effort. There has been only one other series of three or more matches in history without a five-for, and Pakistan were involved in that too – at home against New Zealand in 1964-65.406 Azhar Ali’s run-tally – the most by any overseas opener in a series of three or fewer matches in Australia. Azhar went past Sunil Gavaskar’s 352 runs in 1985-86. Len Hutton scored 411 runs in three matches in 1950-51, but that was a five-Test series. Azhar also became the first Pakistan batsman to score over 400 runs in a series in Australia, beating Mohsin Khan’s 390 in 1983-84, and the first Pakistan double-centurion Down Under.
