SERIES BY NUMBERS: Australia's follow-on, Bumrah's best and Pant's strike rate

The Cricketer picks out some of numbers behind India's historic Test series victory on Australian soil...

1

This was the tourists' first ever Test series victory in Australia. India first toured the country in 1947/48 and now, finally, they have a win to speak of at the 12th time of asking. 

79

Marcus Harris’s 79 at Sydney represented his side’s highest score of the series.

In series of four Tests or more – that is the lowest high score ever by a batsman for a home team. The 26-year-old opener led the scoring overall for Australia with 258 runs at 36.8, including two fifties.

31

The margin of India’s victory in the first Test at Adelaide. A stern rear-guard effort from Australia had them close to knocking off their fourth-innings target of 323 but it was not to be.

India went on to win convincingly at Melbourne (137 runs) before rain left Sydney in a draw.

296

The chasm between each side’s highest totals - India punched in 622-7d at the SCG while the hosts’ best effort was their 326 at Perth.

^{Making his debut on the Test stage, Marcus Harris held his own against an excellent India attack}

6-27

Pat Cummins claimed the series’ best innings figures with 6 for 27 at the MCG, narrowly pipping Jasprit Bumrah’s career-best 6 for 33 in the same match.

9-86

It was a tight contest between the two for the best match figures as well, with Bumrah (9 for 86) edging out Cummins (9 for 99).

193

The series’ highest score was notched by India’s Cheteshwar Pujara. The No.3’s wondrous knock at Sydney consisted of 373 balls – his third century of the series.

521 

Unsurprisingly then, it was Pujara who finished top of the series’ run-scoring ladder, with 521 runs an average of 74.42.

^{Jasprit Bumrah starred with the ball}

5

The four-match dual saw five hundreds scored – Pujara’s three and one apiece for the skipper Virat Kohli and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. 

21

Bumrah and Nathan Lyon tied as the leading wicket-takers, although the Indian’s 21 scalps came at an average of 17, and the Australian spinner’s at 30.42. 

2

Lyon was also the only bowler across the series to claim two five-fors - one at Adelaide and one at Perth.

73.99  

Pant’s series strike rate – the highest of any player from either side. Pant was second only to Pujara in scoring, with 350 runs at 58.33. 

His unbeaten 159 at Sydney was his second Test century and highest score in the format.

^{Cheteshwar Pujara hit hundreds at Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney}

204

Pant and Ravindra Jadeja’s 7th-wicket stand in Sydney was the highest partnership of the series – only two of the top 10 partnerships in the series were by an Australian pair. 

3  

The most sixes scored by a batsman in one innings. Rohit Sharma in his 37 off 61 at Adelaide.

1988

The Sydney Test represented the first time Australia have had to follow-on at home in 30 years. The last opposing side to enforce the follow-on was England in the Bicentenary Test at Sydney in 1988.

1

On only one occasion was an India batsman out lbw. In contrast, India claimed 10 wickets via lbws. 

Fewest lbws for Australian bowlers in a series of 4+ matches:
1 v Eng in Aus 1884/85 (5 Tests)
1 v Ind in Aus 2018/19 (4 Tests)

— Andrew Samson (@AWSStats) January 7, 2019