Was Babar Azam's 122 against South Africa the highest in a successful chase in a T20I? asked Danish Amin from the United States
Babar Azam's 122 in Pakistan's nine-wicket win in Centurion last week was the 12th century in a successful chase in a T20I. But there has been one higher individual score: Evin Lewis hammered 125 not out from 62 balls as West Indies chased down 191 to beat India in Kingston in 2017.
Glenn Maxwell of Australia has two entries on the list: 113 not out against India in Bengaluru in 2018-19, and 103 not out against England in Hobart in 2017-18. But England's Alex Hales just misses out: he made 116 not out against Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup in Chattogram early in 2014, but was out for 99 against West Indies at Trent Bridge in 2012.
Which batter has bagged the most ducks in the IPL? asked Vishal Patel from India
As I write, five men share the distinction of having been dismissed for nought on 13 occasions in the IPL. The only who isn't a current player is Parthiv Patel, who last appeared in the IPL in 2019: the others, who might have the misfortune to take the outright lead any day now, are Harbhajan Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu and Rohit Sharma.
The most runs in the IPL without ever making a duck is currently held by Shubman Gill, with 1008; if and when he gets out for nought, the record will revert to Australia's Andrew Symonds, who made 974.
Gill was the fifth batter to reach 1000 IPL runs before collecting a duck, following David Miller (who made 1450), Suresh Raina (1408), Dwayne Bravo (1154) and Matthew Hayden (1076). Overall, KL Rahul has so far scored 2804 IPL runs with only one duck; Shaun Marsh made 2477, also with a single scoreless innings.
What's the highest score by a player in his first Test as captain? asked Glenn Howard from Australia
This record is held by the New Zealand opener Graham Dowling, who marked his first Test as captain with 239 against India in Christchurch in 1967-68. The only other debut double-century as captain came from Shivnarine Chanderpaul, with 203 not out for West Indies against South Africa in Georgetown in 2004-05. The record for most runs on debut as captain, however, was established by Virat Kohli, with 256 - 115 and 141 - against Australia in Adelaide in 2014-15; he beat Dowling's old mark of 244. In all, 31 different captains made a century in their first Test in charge; Kohli and Greg Chappell, for Australia vs West Indies in Brisbane in 1975-76, are the only men to score two.
Quinton de Kock, who also captained and kept wicket in the match, scored a hundred after opening in an ODI against England last year. Has anyone ever pulled off this triple in a Test? asked Michael Maclean from South Africa
Quinton de Kock opened and scored 107 against England in Cape Town in February 2020. It was the second time a wicketkeeper-captain had opened the innings in a one-day international and reached three figures, after Adam Gilchrist for Australia against Sri Lanka in Perth in 2005-06. There's only one such instance in Tests, by an earlier South African: Percy Sherwell made 115 against England at Lord's in 1907. It was the first time Sherwell had opened in a Test: in his previous five matches he had gone in at No. 9 or lower (three times at No. 11).
My father was telling me there is someone whose obituary appeared in Wisden years before he died, but not when he actually passed away. Is this true? Who was it? asked Brian Carrington from England
The man with this eventful history was The Reverend Archibald Fargus, an allrounder who played with some success for Gloucestershire and Cambridge University in 1900 and 1901. Early in the First World War, he was reported lost at sea when HMS Monmouth was sunk by the Germans off Chile, and an obituary duly appeared in Wisden 1915. But Fargus, who was supposed to be the ship's chaplain, had missed the train connection taking him to the port and never made it on board; he was assigned to another ship. A correction appeared in Wisden 1916. Fargus, whose father was a novelist, had been ordained as a priest in 1906, and later worked in various churches in Malta, Spain, and latterly Bristol, where he died in October 1963. This was when Wisden completed a notable double by missing his death - he did not appear in the 1964 edition, but was included in a special supplementary section in 1994.
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