Ashes 2017-18 – Statistical Preview

Test cricket’s most prestigious series, the Ashes featuring Australia and England is set to begin in a week’s time which will witness Steven Smith and Joe Root leading their teams in the Ashes for the first time. The trophy holders, England will take the field in absence of their most valuable player Ben Stokes. Australia, on the other hand, will be aiming to regain the Ashes trophy with the boost of having defeated the English side 5-0 the last time they played at home four years ago.

All the key stats and numbers related to the upcoming Ashes series 2017-18.

2 – Number of times England were whitewashed in the Ashes in their last three tours to Australia. The home side defeated England 5-0 in 2006-07 and 2013-14. Only in two other Ashes series, a team has affected the whitewash, both before 1925.

27.43 – Joe Root’s Test batting average in Australia. He scored 192 runs across eight innings during the last tour with one fifty-plus score. Root has 991 runs in 27 innings against the Aussies in Tests including three centuries, all at home.

35.87 – Bowling average of James Anderson in the Ashes. This is the 2nd lowest among the 31 bowlers who have delivered over 5000 balls in the history of the series. England’s Fred Titmus averaged 38.17 with the ball in the Ashes. Anderson has picked up 87 wickets in the 26 Tests so far.

39.2 – Alastair Cook’s batting average against Australia in Test cricket is the 2nd lowest for him against any opponent. He averages 35.08 runs against South Africa. Cook’s 2117 Test runs against Australia are the most for him against any opponent.

147 – Alastair Cook has featured in 147 Test matches so far. He needs to make three more appearances to become the first England player with 150 Test appearances.

148 – Wickets Mitchell Starc has picked up in his Test career so far. He needs another two wickets to become the 22nd player to take 150 Test wickets for Australia.

388 – Number of wickets Stuart Broad has in Test cricket so far. He needs 12 more wickets to become the 10th pacer to take 400 Test wickets. Broad scored 2820 runs in this format and needs 180 more runs to become the 4th player with 3000 runs and 400 wickets in Test cricket.

2006 – The last and only time Tim Paine scored a century in his 91-match first-class career. Paine scored 215 for Tasmania against Western Australia way back in October 2006.

2824 – Jonny Bairstow aggregates 2824 runs in Test cricket. He needs another 176 runs to complete the milestone of 3000 Test runs. A total of 41 players have scored 3000 Test runs for England till date.

8932 – Runs Joe Root has scored in his first-class career so far. He needs 68 more runs to complete 9000 FC runs. He has scored his runs at an average of 51.33 with 22 hundreds and 46 fifties.