Ashes 2019: 2nd Test – Smith’s record Ashes streak, England’s identical totals, the first substitute and more stats

Australia kept their 1-0 lead in the Ashes series alive following the drawn Test match at the Lord’s that was affected by rain. The whole first day was called off and the rain continued to intervene in the following days as well. Steve Smith’s brilliant 92-run knock narrowed the first innings deficit to 8 runs.

However, during that innings, he suffered a concussion and had to be replaced by Marnus Labuschagne for the final day. Ben Stokes’ unbeaten 111 helped the hosts to set a target of 267 in 48 overs. Australia were 154/6 at the time of handshakes and successfully avoided a defeat.

All the statistical highlights from the drawn Test match at the Lord’s between the hosts and Australia:

The first substitute:

1 – Marnus Labuschagne became the first concussion substitute in International cricket by replacing Steve Smith. Previously, 81 ODI matches and a T20I game witnessed a tactical move named by Super Sub where a 12th man can be roped in at any point of the match. Thus, the Lord’s Test became the first in Test history where more than 22 players featured in a match.

A rare draw in England:

20 – This drawn match brought an end to a streak of 20 Test matches without a draw in England; the 3rd longest streak without a draw in any country. The last drawn Test in England was in 2016 between the hosts and South Africa also hosted by the Lord’s. Each of the last 25 Tests hosted by Sri Lanka has produced a result. 87 consecutive Tests between 1882/83 and 1946 in Australia did not witness a draw which includes timeless Tests.

A new record for Smith:

7 – Steve Smith has scored more than 50 in each of his previous seven innings in the Ashes. He thus became the first player with seven consecutive fifty-plus scores in the Ashes surpassing Mike Hussey’s streak of six innings between 2009 and 2010.

England’s identical totals:

1 – England finished on exactly 256 in both innings of this Test; the first instance of England scoring the same number of runs in both innings of a Test. They played two innings in 809 Test matches prior to this game but never made the same number of runs in both of them. Overall, this is the 11th time any team finished with the same number of runs in both essays of a Test match.

In fact, their 258 is the 4th highest identical runs made by any team in a Test match. India made 407/10 and 407/9 in the 2005 Kolkata Test against Pakistan while Sri Lanka was bundled out for 306 in both innings of the 1998 Cape Town Test against South Africa. New Zealand was bowled out for 279 against India in the 2009 Test match in Hamilton; the last instance of a team posting the same total in a Test.

Paine @ 100:

23 – Tim Paine completed 100 dismissals as wicketkeeper in Test cricket in only 23 matches. Only Quinton de Kock (22) and Adam Gilchrist (22) got quicker to this milestone than Paine. Mark Boucher also needed 23 Tests for 100 dismissals.

In terms of innings, Paine reached this milestone in 44 innings; the 3rd quickest behind De Kock (39) and Gilchrist (43). South African keepers Mark Boucher (44) and David Richardson (44) also required 44 innings for 100 Test dismissals.

A first for Root:

1 – Joe Root was dismissed for a golden duck for the first time in Test cricket. This was the 6th time in 153 Test innings that Root was dismissed for a duck but never on the first ball until this golden duck.

1981 – The last instance of an England captain bagging a golden duck in a home Ashes Test was back in 1981 by Ian Botham also during the Lord’s Test. In fact, Botham bagged a pair in that match as he was dismissed for a 3-ball duck in the first innings and on the first ball he faced in the second essay.