Stat Round-up on India's historic series

The 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy produced one of the closest series in the 143-year history of Test cricket. It went until the final hour of the final day with all four match results possible and all three series results possible. India produced a comeback beyond dreams, from 36 all-out to losing more of their main squad players – to winning the series 2-1, with a near second-string team. Lets have a look at some key numbers covering the series as a whole.

4 – Runs scored by Marnus Labuschagne so far in his 30-innings Test career, which is now the fourth best of any player. In the last 87 years of Test cricket, only Michael Hussey had a better start at a similar point of time. Don Bradman and Herbert Sutcliffe are two other players to have more runs at this stage.

Most runs by a player in his first 30 Test innings

2872 – Don Bradman (avg 106.37)

1904 – Herbert Sutcliffe (avg 70.52)

1898 – Michael Hussey (avg 82.52)

1860 – Marnus Labuschagne (avg 62.00)

1833 – Doug Walters (avg 70.50)

3 – This is the third time Rishabh Pant scored above fifty in the fourth innings of a Test with two of them coming in this series. This is now the most by an Indian wicketkeeper. Being the designated Indian wicket-keeper, Deep Dasgupta and Syed Kirmani have two fifty-plus knocks. Overall highest is 5 fourth innings fifty-plus knocks by England wicketkeeper Alan Knott.

9 – Total sixes Rishabh Pant hit in the current Test series in Australia, which is now the highest by a visiting wicketkeeper of any country in Australia. Previous highest is 5 sixes by Deryck Murray, followed by 4 sixes by Jonny Bairstow and Brendon McCullum.

3 – This is only the third series where India recorded a fourth innings total of 300+ in the fourth innings of two separate matches of a Test series. They also had multiple scores of fourth innings 300+ totals in 1948-49 home series against West Indies and in 1977-78 away series against Australia. This is the first time they scored 300+ totals in fourth innings of consecutive Tests.

2 – Only the second time in entire Test history, a team recorded multiple 300+ scores in a Test series during a win or a draw. The first such instance was in 1948-49, where India had fourth innings scores of 325/3 and 355/8 both in draws.

1 – Until 2019, India never had a Test series win in Australia, and they now won two series in a row. They join England, South Africa and West Indies in being the only teams to win multiple Test series in Australia.

Most consecutive Test series won in Australia

3 – England in 1884-85, 1886-87, 1887-88

3 – South Africa in 2008-09, 2012-13, 2016-17

3 – West Indies in 1984-85, 1988-89, 1992-93

2 – England in 1928-29, 1931-32

2 – India in 2018-19, 2019-20

23.73 – Average of the Australian openers in this series against India, which is the second lowest of all the series they played against India. The only time the Australian openers had a lower average in a Test series against India was in 1980-81 again at home. 62 by debutant Will Pucovski is the highest by their opener in this series. Only in one series against India, Australia had a lower “highest score” from their openers, in the two Test series in 1996-97 where the highest score didn’t cross 44.

11 – This is the eleventh time India had only one hundred in a Test series of four or more matches, with Ajinkya Rahane scoring India’s only hundred of the series at MCG. The last time India had only one hundred was also in Australia, in 2011-12 – with Virat Kohli scoring the only hundred of the series. The only other four or more Test series India won with a single hundred was the away series against New Zealand in 1967-68 with Ajit Wadekar scoring the only hundred.

36 – This is now the joint lowest total by a team who went on to win the Test series, tied with Australia who won the series despite a 36 all-out against England in 1902.

Lowest totals by teams who won the series

36 – India vs Australia at Adelaide, 2020

36 – Australia vs England at Birmingham, 1902

45 – England vs Australia at Sydney, 1887

53 – England vs Australia at Lord’s, 1888

58 – Australia vs England at Brisbane, 1936

5 – This is the fifth time India won a Test series while coming from behind, their second series outside home, and their first series outside Asia. Three of these series are against Australia since 2000.

Test series where India won while coming from behind

vs Australia in 2001 (home)

vs West Indies in 2002 (home)

vs Sri Lanka in 2015 (away)

vs Australia in 2017 (home)

vs Australia in 2020-21 (away)

5 – Total debutants used by India, which is the highest by them in any Test series win. They used four debutants during their series victory against England in 1961-62. All the five series debutants were a part of the final match which decided the series.