5 Lesser known batting records held by Indians in first-class cricket

2. Longest career without a duck

Abdul Azeem, the former Hyderabad opener, was a prominent figure in South Zone during the 1980s. In his first-class career that spanned across 15 years, Azeem scored 4644 with 12 centuries at a solid average of 43.4. The special fact of Azeem’s 73-match FC career was he was never dismissed for a duck in the 114 innings.

These are the most number of innings any player batted in their first-class career without ever being dismissed for a duck. Kyle Simmonds, a 26-year-old from South Africa, has not bagged a duck in 57 FC innings he batted and has a chance of challenging Azeem’s record. Considering only the non-active players, the longest FC career without a duck after Azeem is recorded by South Africa’s Henry van der Spuy who batted 56 innings; less than half the number of what Azeem managed through his career.

Henry featured in 32 first-class matches between 1933 and 1951; all on South African soil. In fact, the 114 innings of Abdul Azeem are also the most by any player before their FC career’s first duck. John Langridge (105) Matthew Wade (104) and Arthur Morris (100) are the other players to bat for more than 100 innings before their maiden duck in first-class cricket.