The Hindu : Tendulkar third in all-time averages

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 22, 2002

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Sport - Cricket

Tendulkar third in all-time averages

By Mohandas Menon

** With his knock of 117, Sachin Tendulkar took his career batting average to 59.17 runs per innings. Among the 163 batsmen who have over 2,500 Test runs, only Australia's Don Bradman (6996 runs, avg. 99.94) and Englishman Herbert Sutcliffe (4555 runs, avg. 60.73) have a better average than Tendulkar in Test history.

** After six innings, Tendulkar was dismissed by a pace bowler though the leg before mode of dismissal to Cuffy was his fourth in as many innings.

** Ajay Ratra's catch gave Junior Murray his 100th victim (97 catches, 3 stumpings) in 31 matches as a 'keeper. He is the fourth West Indian wicketkeeper, after Jeff Dujon, Deryck Murray and Ridley Jacobs, and the 28th in Test history to reach this landmark.

** Ratra, who became the 30th player to keep wickets for India in Tests, is now the second youngest at 20 years and 128 days after Budi Kunderan.

The latter was 20 years and 91 days old when he made his debut against Australia in January 1960 at the Brabourne Stadium, Bombay.

However, Ratra, is the youngest wicketkeeper for India in an `away' Test, bettering the record held by Vijay Manjrekar, who was 21 years and 184 days, when he was forced to keep wickets for India against the West Indies at Kingston in March 1953.

For the record, Probir Sen (a genuine wicketkeeper), was 21 years and 215 days old when he kept for India against Australia at Melbourne in January 1948.

** Ratra became the second Indian wicketkeeper after Jenni Irani (against Australia at Brisbane in November 1947) to register a duck in his debut innings.

** Curiously, in four innings in this series, none of the wicketkeepers have managed to open their account with Murray (twice), Deep Dasgupta and Ratra recording ducks.

** For Murray, it was his third duck in four innings. It was also the ninth of his career, thus making him the wicketkeeper with maximum zeroes for the West Indies.

Former teammate Jeff Dujon had eight in his career.

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