Ask Bharath #4

1. In the last season in West Indies, the Chanderpauls played in a FC match together. Has any other father-son combo played in International cricket in the same match? In FC, does the record limit to dad-son or any other generation/ relation is involved, in a single match? - Asked by Soumyadut Nag, India

The Chanderpauls - Shivnarine (father) and Tagenarine (son) - have appeared in a three first-class matches together for Guyana. There have been no international match that had a father-son pair playing together. However there are about 18 more occasions of a father-son pair appearing in the same first-class match. The last was Denis (father) and Heath Streak (son) in 1996. In 1851 to 1853, William Lillywhite played alongside his two sons - John Lillywhite and James Lillywhite in two matches. That is the only occasion of a father and two sons appearing in the same match.

Shivnarine (father) and Tagenarine (son) - The Chanderpauls

There have been one ODI in which the father was umpiring and son played the match. It was Subhash Modi (father) the umpire and Hitesh Modi (son) the player for Kenya against Bangladesh in 2006. Subhash Modi declared his son Hitesh Out Leg before in the match!

There are no occasions of grandfather-grandson appearing in a match together.

Read more about this in Arunabha Sengupta's article. 

2. West Indies scored 86 runs in their powerplay against South Africa in the T20 International match at Johannesburg while chasing target of 232. Is this the highest powerplay score in T20Is? What is the highest in T20 cricket? - Asked by Amit Kumar, Uttar Pradesh, India

West Indies scored 86 runs for the loss of one wicket in their first six overs against South Africa at Johannesburg on January 11, 2015. West Indies successfully chased down the target of 232 set by South Africa. This is not the highest score in first six overs (powerplays) in T20Is. It is less than what Netherlands got against Ireland in World T20 2014 at Sylhet Stadium. The Dutch scored 91 runs for one wicket in the powerplays in order to chase target of 190 runs within 14.3 overs to get into the main round of the tournament.

The highest powerplay score in T20s is more than 100 runs. Faisalabad Wolves against Multan Tigers at Karachi on February 25, 2006 scored 24 runs off first over, 34 off the second and 24 off the third. They scored 82 runs for no loss in their first three overs! The over by over details are clearly not available online but it can be projected to about 110-115 runs as the first wicket fell in the fifth over on the score of 105 and they went on to score 123 for two wickets in 7.3 overs.

In the last IPL edition, Chennai Super Kings smashed exactly 100 runs in first six overs against Kings XI Punjab in the second qualifier at Bangalore while chasing 227 runs to go enter the finals.

3. Ricky Ponting has the next best set of 52 test matches after Bradman (covered in Ask Bharath #2). Who has the next highest aggregate in career's first 52 tests behind Bradman's 6996 runs and 29 100s? - Asked by Soumyadut Nag, India

Don Bradman scored 6996 runs at average of 99.94 in his career of 52 tests and 80 innings. He scored 13 half-centuries and 29 100s in those number of matches. The next highest aggregate by any player in his career's first 52 tests is 5007 by Sunil Gavaskar including 20 centuries. Gavaskar is the only other batsman after Bradman to accumulate more than 5000 runs in first 52 tests of career. Anyways, Bradman played 80 innings in his 52 matches whereas Gavaskar played 95 innings. At 80 innings, Gavaskar had only 3951 runs with 16 centuries. For 80 innings, the highest aggregate after Bradman is 4384 by Jack Hobbs in 48 tests with 13 centuries.

4. How many times has all players (including wicketkeeper) have bowled in an inning in ODIs and Tests? - Anonymous

It has happened four times in Test matches that all the eleven players bowled atleast a ball in a test inning. The instances are: England against Australia at The Oval in 1884, Australia against Pakistan at Faisalabad in 1979/80, India against West Indies at St John's in 2002 and South Africa against West Indies at St John's in 2005. There are 14 more occasions of 10 players bowling in a test inning.

In ODIs, the maximum number of players from a team has bowled is nine. It has happened 13 times in the past and the last was Zimbabwe against South Africa at Benoni in 2010/11.

In T20Is, the maximum is eight players which has also happened 13 times and the last was Netherlands against Ireland at Sylhet in 2013/14 (in the match which Netherlands chased 190 runs in 13.5 overs).

5. Virat Kohli missed scoring twin centuries in the same test series twice. How many batsmen have done that in the past? - Asked by Zac Braun

Virat Kohli scored 115 & 141 runs in the first test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at Adelaide and then had two more chances to score twin centuries in a test match. He scored 169 at Melbourne and then followed up with 54 runs in the second inning. In the next test, the final test, at Sydney he scored 147 runs in the first inning and scored 46 in the second innings.

Only once in the history of Test cricket a batsman scored centuries in each innings of a test twice in the same series. It was Clyde Walcott for West Indies against Australia in 1955. He scored 126 & 110 at Port of Spain (second test) and 155 & 110 at Kingston (fifth test).