Australia vs Pakistan, 2019: 2nd Test – Statistical Preview

Pakistan’s tour of Australia will come to an end when the tour teams will lock horns in the Adelaide Test match starting on Friday. Australia took a 1-0 lead in this 2-match Test series as they won the game played in Brisbane by an innings and 5 runs. Centuries from Marnus Labuschagne and David Warner helped Australia pile on big total despite Steve Smith scoring the least number of runs in their innings. All the three pacers of the home team took at least five wickets in the match while Pakistan pacers collectively bagged four wickets in the 78 overs they bowled.

All the key stats and numbers ahead of the day-night Test match at the Adelaide Oval:

5-0 – Australia has won all the five day-night Test matches they played thus far. Three of those five victories came at the Adelaide Oval [New Zealand in 2015, South Africa in 2016 and England in 2017] which will host the 2nd Test. Other two wins came at the Gabba against Pakistan in 2016 and Sri Lanka in 2017. Pakistan’s record in D/N Tests reads 1-2.

13 – Pakistan has lost each of their last 13 Test matches on Australian soil, a streak that began in 1995 post their 74-run win against the Aussies at the Sydney Cricket Ground. This is the joint-longest losing streak for any team in a specific country in Test cricket. Bangladesh also lost 13 consecutive Tests they played in Bangladesh between 2001 and 2004.

In fact, Pakistan has defeated Australia only once in their last 24 International matches on Australian soil. The lone win came during the Melbourne ODI in 2017 where they won the match by 6 wickets.

45 – Nathan Lyon has taken 45 wickets in eight Test matches at the Adelaide Oval; the 3rd most Test wickets for any bowler at this venue. Only Shane Warne (56) and Glenn McGrath (46) took more Test wickets in Adelaide than Lyon. The off-spinner averages 26.04 at this venue and has taken three 5-wicket hauls.

88 – Pat Cummins has picked up 88 wickets across all formats in international cricket this year. These are the joint-most number of International wickets by a player in a calendar year for Australia since 2010.

Mitchell Starc also took exactly 88 International wickets in 2015. No pacer has taken more than 88 wickets in a calendar year since 2010. Cummins is only one wicket away from going past Starc in both lists.

982 – Azhar Ali has amassed 982 runs in the longer format against Australia across 20 innings. He needs 18 more runs to become the 6th Pakistan player to amass 1000 Test runs against Australia.

2007 – The last instance of Pakistan losing three straight series in the Test format was in 2007. Pakistan is on the verge of losing their 3rd straight Test series if they don’t beat the Aussies in Adelaide. Pakistan’s last Test series was against South Africa which they lost by 0-3 margin after a 1-2 series defeat against New Zealand in UAE.

6977 – Runs Steve Smith has scored in the Test cricket across 125 innings he batted. He needs 23 more runs in the next five innings to complete 7000 Test runs and become the fastest to the milestone.