21st May, 2002

Name: Jagan
Question: Hi Sir, I want the statistics of Sachin, Gavaskar, Lara for Test and one-dayers. And also the statistics about their performances with their respective teams winning and losing (home and away). For Tendulkar, I need one more information: The type of dismissal and the number of times in Test and ODI cricket?

Answer1: In winning Test matches, the home and away records of Gavaskar, Tendulkar and Lara.

	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	0
Sunil Gavaskar
H	14	25	2	915	166	39.78	3	4	0
A	9	17	2	756	118	50.40	3	3	2
T	23	42	4	1671	166	43.97	6	7	2
Sachin Tendulkar
H	23	36	4	1896	176	59.25	6	8	1
A	4	7	2	377	117	75.40	2	1	1
T	27	43	6	2273	176	61.43	8	9	2
Brian Lara
H	17	28	2	1516	213	58.31	3	9	1
A	9	13	1	661	147	55.08	2	4	0
T	26	41	3	2177	213	57.29	5	13	1

Name: Prashant
Question: Is it possible to do an analysis of the top ten batsmen of the last 50 yrs in terms of their performance in their 2nd innings in the Test match, i.e, the 3rd or 4th innings? And perhaps to see if they scored these runs when their team really needed it, perhaps restrict the answer to Tests, which their team won or lost.

Answer2: Leading run-scores since 1952 (i.e last 50 years) while batting in the second innings and in winning Test matches.

	Runs	For	M	Inn	NO	Ave	HS	100	50	0
CG Greenidge	1775	WI	57	40	12	63.39	226	5	8	2
DL Haynes	1598	WI	60	47	19	57.07	143*	5	6	1
MA Taylor	1498	Aus	52	37	6	48.32	144	6	5	0
IVA Richards	1344	WI	63	27	7	67.20	182*	4	7	1
GA Gooch	1203	Eng	32	24	4	60.15	174	4	2	1
ME Waugh	1176	Aus	69	37	9	42.00	116	1	11	3
G Kirsten	1139	SA	37	33	9	47.46	134	2	5	1
IR Redpath	1118	Aus	29	22	5	65.76	159*	3	8	1
DC Boon	1116	Aus	41	26	7	58.74	135	2	5	2
MJ Slater	990	Aus	44	31	7	41.25	123	3	2	1

Leading run-scores since 1952 (i.e last 50 years) while batting in the second innings and in losing Test matches.

	Runs	For	M	Inn	NO	Ave	HS	100	50	0
AR Border	1589	Aus	46	46	7	40.74	152*	4	8	3
AJ Stewart	1355	Eng	48	47	4	31.51	89	0	11	3
SM Gavaskar	1299	Ind	34	33	1	40.59	137	4	7	2
DI Gower	1278	Eng	42	42	3	32.77	114	3	5	2
BC Lara	1274	WI	37	37	0	34.43	145	2	6	4
A Flower	1232	Zim	32	32	3	42.48	199*	3	7	4
GA Gooch	1167	Eng	42	42	0	27.79	133	2	7	4
A Ranatunga	1034	SL	35	35	1	30.41	88	0	6	3
MA Atherton	1015	Eng	44	44	0	23.07	99	0	6	3
DB Vengsarkar	893	Ind	34	34	2	27.91	157	2	6	3

Name: Sujit
Question: Hi, I would like to clarify the rule regarding short-pitched over shoulders/full toss over-waist balls. If the batsman comes down the track, what is the interpretation of this no-ball rule? The rule book apparently describes it for a batsman "standing upright in his crease". Please clarify.

Answer3: The final decision in such matters are left with the umpire. The umpire can still call a no-ball even if the batsman comes down the track to play a short-pitched delivery.

Name: Ankur Jain
Question: Hello, 1. Has any cricketer from Kerela, represented India, before Tinu Yohannan?
2. Which cricketers have taken a wicket off their first ball in Test cricket? Is any Indian in this list or has Tinu Yohannan come closest with his fourth ball wicket? Regards Ankur Jain.

Answer4: a. Abey Kuruvilla, who played in 10 Tests and 25 ODIs 1997, also hailed from Kerala. However, he represented Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy and never Kerala.
b. Only 12 bowlers in Test cricket history have taken a wicket off the very first ball od their career. The last one being an Indian - Nilesh Kulkarni, vs Sri Lanka at Colombo, 1997.

Name: Nitin Goyal
Question: 1. What is the maximum number of runs that have been scored by running between the wickets (overthrows etc. included)?
2. Has there been any incident in which more than 7 runs have been scored off a single delivery? (A no ball can be hit for a sixer to get 7 off a ball).

Answer5: There are several instances in both ODIs and Tests where a no-ball has been hit for a six. The batting sides have thus got seven runs off one ball. However, England's Patsy Hendren at Brisbane, 1928-39, and New Zealander John Wright at Melbourne, in 1980-81, have the distinction of scoring 8 runs off one ball. They ran four and also got a four boundary overthrows.

Name: Raju
Question: How many times have 3 Indian batsmen scored centuries in a Test match? Which team has done the same for the highest number of times?

Answer6: On 11 occasions - three Indian batsmen have scored centuries in the same innings of a Test match.
Australian batsmen have done it on 20 occaions (including five centuries in the same innings) - the most for any team.

Name: Mahesh Naik
Question: Mr. Menon, Could you please answer this question. Your answer will help us avoid a lot of debate and arguments in our cricket practice and league in Phoenix, AZ USA. Can a bowler bowl from behind the bowling crease? That is, if his front foot is behind the bowling crease. Isn't that a NO BALL?

Answer7: Yes he can deliver the ball from behind the bowling crease but his front foot must land with some part of the foot, whether grounded or raised, behind the popping crease.

Name: Manas Mishra
Question: Mr Menon, I'm referring to an incident in a match between New Zealand and Zimbabwe where the batsman (McMillan) was out of his crease and the keeper (Andy Flower) took the bails off. When they appealed, the square-leg umpire (Ian Robinson) first signaled a No-ball (because it was a very high full toss) and then he asked the third-umpire for the stumping decision. As far as I know a batsman can't be stumped out on a no-ball, how come Robinson missed the trick there?

Answer8: I do not recall this incident. However, if Ian Robinson has signalled a no-ball he should not have asked for the third umpire's decision, unless he had called it a wide. You can be stumped off a wide, but not of a no-ball.

Name: Dr. Sarma
Question: Mr. Menon, How do the international cricketers travel? Do they go by economy/business/first class in flights or do they get chartered flights (I doubt it). How about lesser gods such as Ranji Trophy, Sheffield shield, and local matches? Is there hierarchy in this for senior players? Like senior players going in business class and juniors going in economy?

Answer9: It depends of various factors such as availablity of seats etc. Normally, they travel by economy. I have sometimes seen them travel in business class also (on some occasions the airline upgrades their tickets). To places where regular flights are not available chartered flights are also utilised. For Ranji Trophy the players normally travel by train - by 1st class or by A/c sleeper.

Name: Vikas Arun
Question: What is the difference between an off-break and an off-cutter?

Answer10: An off-break is a ball which after pitching turns from off to leg. Bowled by a right-arm bowler, it is referred to as orthodox spin. Spun mainly by the first finger of the right hand, the action is like turning a door handle. An off-cutter is a fast off-break bowled by 'cutting' across the seam of the ball rather than by orthodox finger spin. Polly Umrigar and Tony Greig used to bowl off-cutters.

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