July 2, 2003
Name: Ashwin Honkan
Question: What's the record for the most batsmen getting out first ball in an innings? Pakistan lost 4 on the first ball in the 2nd ODI vs Eng on June 20, 2003. Is that the record?
Answer 1: Pakistan's four first ball ducks at the Oval on 20-6-2003, equals the dubious record held by Sri Lanka against Pakistan at Jamshedpur on 19-3-1999. Four Sri Lankan batsmen (U Chandana, C Hathurasinghe, C Vaas and P Wickremasinghe) were also dismissed first ball by Pakistani bowlers.
Name: Opener
Question: Which is the shortest test match that had a result?
Answer 2: The shortest Test match that produced a result was the one between Australia and South Africa at Melbourne from 12-15 February 1932. The match which was won by Australia by an innings & 72 runs lasted a total playing time of 5 hours 53 minutes (or 353 mins).
Name: Namit Trivedi
Question: How many times has the number 11 batsman scored in excess of 20 runs in an ODI and thus won the game for his team?
Answer 3: West Indian Andy Roberts (24 not out) - against Pakistan at Birmingham on 11-6-1975 - is the only number 11 in ODI history to make a winning score of 20-plus, while batting second for his team.
Name: Aliraza
Question: Who is the first batsman to be out hit-wicket?
Answer 4: Australian George Bonnor was dismissed hit-wicket for 6 off the bowling of Englishman Ted Peate in the Manchester Test match in July 1884.
Name: Birju Nair
Question: I would like to know which Indian batsman has scored the maximum number of runs in a single Ranji season and which bowler has taken maximum number of wickets?
Answer 5: Hyderabad's VVS Laxman holds the record while scoring 1415 runs (avg. 108.85) in 9 Ranji Trophy matches in the 1999-00 season. Laxman also recorded 8 hundreds during the season, which is also a Ranji record for the most hundreds by a batsman in a Ranji season.
Delhi's left-arm spinner Bishan Singh Bedi holds the bowling record with 64 wickets (avg. 8.53) in 8 Ranji matches during the 1974-75 season.
Name: Dheeban
Question: Dear Mr. Menon, please tell me in test match cricket, who is the player who has opened the batting as well as shared the new ball in the opening spell for the most number of times? What is the number of times such a player has done that? Thank you.
Answer 6: The distinction goes to India's Manoj Prabhakar, who has opened the Indian batting and bowling in 21 Test matches.
Name: Kanchan Bhave
Question: Sir, which captain has the best batting average after he was appointed as captain?
Answer 7: Australian Don Bradman has the best batting average as a Test captain - 101.52 - while scoring 3147 runs in 24 matches. However it should be noted that West Indian keeper Ridley Jacobs who has captained his side in 2 Test matches has a batting average of 150.00 while scoring 150 runs (including an unbeaten 91 vs Bangladesh at Dhaka in December 2002). Jacobs and Bradman are only batsmen in Test cricket having batting averages exceeding 100 runs, while captaining their respective sides.
Name: Jitender D
Question: Where was the first Test played in India? When was it played and who was the captain of each team?
Answer 8: The first Test match in India was played at the Bombay Gymkhana ground from 15 to 18 December 1933. The Indian team was led by CK Nayudu, while Douglas Jardine led the English team.
Name: Sandeep
Question: Sir, I would like to know how many ODI's has india won altogether. Where does India stand in the list of most ODI's victories?
Answer 9: As on 30-6-2003, India has won 253 matches out of the 539 matches played. In terms of most ODI wins, India now occupies the fourth position behind leaders Australia (319 wins out of 541 matches), Pakistan (297 in 561) & West Indies (273 in 476).
Name: AM
Question: Can you please tell me how long it took each test playing team to win their first match after getting Test status and against whom did they win?
Answer 10:
1st match: Australia beat England at Melbourne on 19-3-1877 (debut date: 15-3-1877)
2nd match: England beat Australia at Melbourne on 4-4-1877 (debut date: 15-3-1877)
2nd match: Pakistan beat India at Lucknow on 26-10-1952 (debut date: 16-10-1952)
6th match: West Indies beat England at Georgetown on 26-2-1930 (debut date: 23-6-1928)
12th match: South Africa beat England at Johannesburg on 4-1-1906 (debut date: 12-3-1889)
14th match: Sri Lanka beat India at Colombo (PSS) on 11-9-1985 (debut date: 17-2-1982)
25th match: India beat England at Madras on 10-2-1952 (debut date: 25-6-1932)
45th match: New Zealand beat West Indies at Auckland on 13-3-1956 (debut date: 10-1-1930)
Note: Bangladesh have played 19 Tests since 10-11-2000 and are yet to win a Test match.