Also, has there ever been a Test innings in which both openers made double-centuries?

Steven Lynch15-Oct-2019How many people have been out stumped twice in a Test, as Rohit Sharma was at Vizag? asked Bharat Krishna from India, among others
Rohit Sharma became the 22nd man to be stumped in both innings of a Test, against South Africa in Visakhapatnam. His six-studded knocks of 176 and 127 made him the first of those 22 to have scored centuries in both innings: the only others to make one were Wally Hammond, with 24 and 140 in the famous timeless Test in Durban in 1938-39, and another England batsman in Winston Place, who scored 8 and 107 against West Indies in Kingston in 1947-48.At the other end of the scale, Bobby Peel’s pair for England against Australia in Sydney in 1894-95 came after he was stumped for 0 in each innings, and this non-feat was replicated 110 years later by Zimbabwe’s Chris Mpofu, against New Zealand in Harare in 2005.Kevin O’Brien hit a T20 hundred recently against Hong Kong, and also scored Ireland’s first Test century. Has anyone else been the first for their country in two formats? asked Gary Murphy from Ireland
Kevin O’Brien’s 124 from 62 balls against Hong Kong in Al Amerat earlier this month made him Ireland’s first centurion in T20Is; he had made their first (and still only) Test century, against Pakistan in Malahide in 2018. O’Brien also scored Ireland’s fourth hundred in one-day internationals.I was rather surprised to discover there are as many as four others who have made their country’s first century in two of the three international formats. Dave Houghton made Zimbabwe’s first in ODIs (142 against New Zealand in Hyderabad in India during the 1987-88 World Cup), and added their first Test hundred (121 in their inaugural match, against India in Harare in 1992-93.Mohammad Shahzad hit Afghanistan’s maiden century in ODIs (110 against the Netherlands in Amstelveen in 2009), and later added their first in T20Is (118 not out against Zimbabwe in Sharjah in 2015-16).The other two joined the ranks this year: Paras Khadka scored 115 in Nepal’s ODI against the United Arab Emirates in Dubai in January, and added 106 not out in a T20I in Singapore in September, while Namibia’s JP Kotze made 101 not out in a T20 against Botswana in Windhoek in August, and 136 in an ODI against the United States in Lauderhill the following month. At the moment these are the only ODI and T20 centuries for Nepal and Namibia.R Ashwin just took seven wickets in an innings against South Africa. Who has taken the most seven-fors in Tests? asked Kurt Bauermeister from South Africa
R Ashwin’s 7 for 145 in the first innings against South Africa in Visakhapatnam recently was his fifth seven-for in Tests, putting him level with four other distinguished bowlers: Alec Bedser, Clarrie Grimmett, Imran Khan and Kapil Dev.There are seven men with more seven-fors in Tests: Rangana Herath, Anil Kumble and Shane Warne had six, while Sydney Barnes, Harbhajan Singh and George Lohmann managed seven. Quite a way in front, though, is Muttiah Muralitharan, who took seven wickets in an innings on no fewer than 11 occasions.Murali also leads the way for eight-fors, with five; Lohmann had four, Barnes and Kapil three. Murali and Jim Laker are the only bowlers to have twice taken nine or more in an innings; Laker’s famously came in the same match, for England against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956.Bob Simpson and Bill Lawry were the first openers to both make a double hundred in a Test, against the West Indies in 1965•PA PhotosHas there ever been a Test innings in which both openers made double-centuries? asked Shahzad Raza from Pakistan
There have been two such innings in Tests so far. The first came in Bridgetown in 1964-65, when Bill Lawry scored 210 and Bob Simpson 201 for Australia; Seymour Nurse responded with 201 for West Indies, in the only Test to contain three individual double-centuries until 2008-09, when Sri Lanka and Pakistan managed three in Karachi.Lawry and Simpson’s feat was unmatched until 2007-08, when Neil McKenzie hit 226 and Graeme Smith 232 for South Africa against Bangladesh in Chittagong. Their stand of 415 remains the Test record for the first wicket (Lawry and Simpson, who put on 382, lie fifth).In all, there have been 16 Test innings which included two double-centuries.England’s 903 for 7 is the highest Test total to include a duck – but what is the lowest Test score without one? asked Ian Davies from England
The lowest all-out Test total without a duck remains Australia’s 75 against South Africa in Durban in 1949-50. Although no one was out for 0, there was a 1 and six 2s (one of them not out). Australia staged a stirring comeback to win that match, despite conceding a first-innings lead of 236.England came close at Lord’s in 1997, when they were skittled for 77 by Australia: four men were out for 1, but there were no ducks (although Devon Malcolm finished with 0 not out). There are five other all-out Test totals of less than 100 which did not include a duck.England’s 903 for 7 declared against Australia at The Oval in 1938 included 0 from Eddie Paynter and 1 from Denis Compton – but 364 from Len Hutton.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions