India vs South Africa, 2019: 2nd Test – Statistical Preview

India aims a series win against South Africa in Pune after taking a 1-0 lead in the 3-match Test series with a 203-run win in Vizag. The experiment of Rohit Sharma fared well for India as he struck twin centuries in his debut game as an opener. Mayank Agarwal scored a double century in his maiden outing at home while the bowlers put on a collective effort. South Africa batsmen will be hoping to continue their good performance with the bat which they showed up in their first innings of the previous game.

All the key stats and numbers ahead of crucial 2nd Test match between India and South Africa in Pune:

1 – Pune hosted India’s only Test defeat since the start of 2013. India lost to Australia at this venue in the 1st game of the 4-match series in 2017. This is also India’s only home Test defeat under Virat Kohli’s captaincy. India played as many as 30 Tests since the beginning of 2013 and won 24 of them while five other matches ended in a draw.

7 – Rohit Sharma scored 50+ runs in each of his last seven Test innings on Indian soil; the most successive fifty-plus scores in Test cricket for any player in India. Rohit has scored 1072 runs across 16 Test innings in India with five centuries and five fifties.

His batting average in India reads 97.45 which is the 3rd best average for any player in a country having scored at least 1000 runs in Test cricket. Sir Donald Bradman averages 102.84 and 98.22 respectively in England and Australia.

8 – South Africa lost the toss each of their last 8 Test matches in Asia. In those eight Test matches, the Proteas lost six Tests while the other two ended in a draw. They also lost losses in their previous five away Test matches and ended losing the match in all those five.

20.32 – Ravindra Jadeja’s Test bowling average of 20.32 in India is the best for any player with 100+ Test wickets on Indian soil. Jadeja took 150 Test wickets in India from 29 matches at a strike rate of 54.6.

50 – The Test match which starts on Thursday will be the 50th Test as captain for Virat Kohli. Till date, MS Dhoni (60) is the only player to lead India in 50+ Test matches. Sourav Ganguly’s Test captaincy career lasted 49 Tests.

72.46 – Rohit Sharma has a batting average of 72.46 in Test cricket since the start of 2016/17 season. In this span, Rohit scored 942 runs from 18 innings with three centuries and six fifties. Only Steve Smith (75.63) has a better batting average in the longer format in this span than Rohit. (Min: 500 runs)

99 – Keshav Maharaj is one wicket away from becoming the 17th player with 100 Test wickets for South Africa. He has bagged 99 wickets till date in his 26-match Test career including five in the previous Test.

172 – Kagiso Rabada has a bowling strike rate of 172 in Test cricket on Indian soil and averages 72.66. Rabada managed to take only three wickets in seven innings across four Tests he played in India.

242 – Ravichandran Ashwin needs 8 more wickets to complete 250 Test wickets in India. He will then become the 10th player and the 3rd Indian to bag 250+ Test wickets at home.