18th July, 2002

Name: Paresh
Question: Who holds the record for playing maximum ODIs -- till he played his first Test match -- or without playing a Test match. Who among current players is threatening this record?

Answer1: The record is held by Australian Adam Gilchrist, who appeared in his first Test (against Pakistan at Brisbane in November 1999) after playing 76 ODI matches since October 1996. Among the current players Australian Andy Symonds, who has appeared in 48 ODI matches since 1998 is yet to play in Tests.

Name: Roby
Question: Hi Sir, Everyone speaks so highly about Sachin. I would like to know the following: In how many Test series outside the subcontinent has Sachin scored 350 or more runs. Please give Tests-Runs-Avg-Centuries. Now please give me the same statistics for Gavaskar too. I would like to see who has performed better abroad for India. Many Thanks, Roby

Answer2: Tendulkar's 350-plus run aggregates in Tests outside the subcontinent

Series	M	Runs	Avg	100s
1996 in England	3	428	85.60	2
1991-92 in Australia	5	368	46.00	2
Gavaskar's 350-plus run aggregates in Tests outside the subcontinent.
1970-71 in WI	4	774	154.80	4 (debut series)
1979 in England	4	542	77.43	1
1977-78 in Aus	5	450	50.00	3
1975-76 in WI	4	390	55.71	2
1985-86 in Aus	3	352	117.33	2

Name: Shrikant Dharap
Question: Dear Mr Menon, I would love to read the figures for the top 5 bowlers and batsmen. Can you give us those figures for Test+ODI combined please? We always have access to either Test OR ODI records. I haven't seen any stats where both figures are combined to come up with list of top 5 bowlers or batsmen. Thank you.

Answer3: The top five batsmen and bowlers with a combined aggregate of runs and wickets in Tests and ODIs.

	Runs
Tendulkar	19509
Border	17698
S Waugh	17169
M Waugh	16449
Miandad	16213
	Wkts
Wasim Akram	877
Waqar Younis	732
Walsh	746
Warne	728
Muralitharan	696

Name: Gururaj HV
Question: Hi, some bowlers like McGrath, Pollock etc always bowl from very close to the stumps. In the mean time they dislodge the bails often (bowler's end). Though this is not intentional, but what happens when they dislodge the bails and in the mean time the non-striker is out of his crease while backing up, assuming the appeal is made by a fielder and not by the bowler.

Answer4: The non-striking batsman can be declared 'run-out' by the umpire if found out of crease, while trying to back up.

Name: Dr. Vinod
Question: Dear Mr. Menon, Prior to the first match of the recent NatWest series, when was the last time India successfully chased a total in excess of 275? Can you give the details of all such matches?

Answer5: There have been 36 instances (including the recent Lord's final) when teams have successfully chased scores in excess of 275 in ODIs.

Name: Sudarshan Boloor
Question: Hi, I would like to confirm a query regarding partnerships. If a batsman gets injured at team's score of 50 and leaves the field for further treatment -- wicket has not fallen. The next batsman will join the other batsman who is at the wicket. This partnership will reach the team's score of 100 runs. Whether these 100 runs partnership for the wicket should reflect the first two batsmen or the third batsmen too?

I will give one instance where in the West Indies innings against Pakistan, played at the MCG in the World Cup match in 1992. They reached the target score of 220 for no loss. But this opening partnership included three batsmen. Lara got retired hurt at the score of 175 runs.

Then Richardson continued with Haynes. But, in my opinion, it is world record. But the official scorecard showed the opening partnership being the 175 runs between Lara and Haynes. Generally, the partnership is for the wicket between the batsmen and not on the number of batsmen included. Please do give ur opinion

Answer6: Normally partnership records are always for the efforts between two batsmen and not three. While answering to your query I can give another instance when three Indian batsmen -- Dilip Vengsarkar/GR Viswanath/Yashpal Sharma shared in a partnership of 415 runs for the third wicket against England, at Madras, in January 1982.

Vengsarkar and Viswanath had put on 99 runs before the former had to retire due to an injury. Then Viswanath and Yashpal added 316 runs. Had the partnership been considered as 415 runs then it would been a world record, bettering the 370 runs between Englishmen Dennis Compton and Bill Edrich against South Africa at Lord's in 1947.

However, for the sake of records the partnership was only considered for 316 runs, between Viswanath and Yashpal.

Likewise, the opening partnership at the MCG between Haynes and Lara was for 175 only.

Name: Deepak Harathi
Question: Sir, Jayasuriya's century recently in the triangular trophy (IND-ENG-SRI) was acclaimed as the fastest century (ODI) in England. But Kapil's century off 72 balls is still the best in England (1983 World Cup match against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells). Could you please let me know why it is not taken into account? Thanks, Deepak.

Answer7: It is believed Kapil's hundred against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells in 1983 came in 100 balls and not 72 balls. Kapil's 175 not out came in 138 balls, which means he scored his last 75 runs in 38 balls.

Name: Harish Kotian
Question: Can a 12th man come in as a runner, if one of the opening batsmen is injured? Also, what are the rules regarding a player in the playing eleven who gets injured and who has been sitting out most of the time in the pavilion? What position can he bat at and after how many overs can he bowl? Please clarify.

Answer8: A 12th man can only come in as a runner, under special circumstances, that too with the consent of the opposing captain. Otherwise, normally it is always the playing member of the same side who does this duty.

As regards to your second question, an injured batsman can bat at the fall of the next wicket, unless the opposing captain fells otherwise. A bowler has to be on the field for the same time as he has been away before he can bowl.

Name: Vithal
Question: Has any player scored a hundred and taken five wickets in the same ODI match.

Answer9: Only one player has achieved this feat -- West Indian Viv Richards, who claimed 5 for 41 in 10 overs after scoring 119 against New Zealand at Dunedin on 18 March 1987.

Name: Ravi Seetharam
Question: Who is the first women cricketer to have scored a hundred.

Answer10: The first Test hundred by a woman cricketer was from England's Myrtle Maclagan against Australia at Sydney in 1934-35. She made 119 while opening the innings.

Mail Cricket Editor