Ashes 2017-18: 2nd Test, Day 1 – Statistical Highlights

The Adelaide Oval became the host for the first ever day/night Test match played in the Men’s Ashes which was affected by the rain on the first day. England elected to bowl first on winning the toss to utilize the pitch and the overcast conditions. However, the visiting team’s plans didn’t go well as the Aussies batted out of 81 possible overs for the loss of four wickets and made 209 runs.

All the stats and numbers from the first day of the first-ever Day/Night Men’s Ashes Test:

1 – For the first time in the seven day/night Test matches including this game, the team winning the toss elected to bowl first. This is the 3rd D/N Test at Adelaide with the team batting 2nd winning on the previous two occasions while the first batting team won the remaining four D/N Tests.

7 – This is the 7th Test match at the Adelaide Oval which had the first wicket of the game coming via run out. These are the most number of Tests at a venue where the first wicket came via runout, going past six such Tests at Melbourne. The last of the previous six instances at Adelaide came during the 2010 Ashes Test when Simon Katich was run out in the very first over of the match.

49 – Innings Steven Smith needed for completing 3000 runs as a captain in Test cricket. He is the joint 3rd quickest to reach this milestone. Sir Donald Bradman needed 37 innings while Mahela Jayawardene took 48 innings for completing this milestone. Graham Gooch also needed 49 innings for completing 3000 Test runs as a captain.

1984 – England fielding all 11 players born in England in consecutive Test matches is the first such instance for them since August 1984. Since then England played 387 Test matches including this 2nd Test but fielded with all 11 players born in England on only eight occasions. The Brisbane Test match became the first such one for England since December 2003.

2130 – Balls Steven Smith faced in Test cricket at home between his two bowled dismissals. His bowled dismissal off Craig Overton‘s bowling was his 20th in the longer format and the 6th at home. The last of his previous five bowled dismissals at home came in November 2015 off Trent Boult. After that dismissal, Smith made 1281 runs and faced 2130 balls in home Tests before Overton cleaned him up. Smith also got out for the first time in this series after facing 416 balls across the two innings he batted so far.

1992 – The last instance of a team electing to bowl first in a Test match at the Adelaide Oval was way back in 1992. The Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin invited the Aussies to bat first after winning the toss. Overall, England electing to bowl was 9th such occasion in a Test at Adelaide. On the previous eight occasions, toss winning side lost on six occasions and won only once (Windies in January 1982).