South Africa vs Australia, 2018: 4th Test, Day 4 – Statistical Highlights

South Africa batted out two sessions on the 4th day’s play to extend their lead to a mammoth 611 runs before declaring at the Tea break. Their captain Faf du Plessis brought an end to his run drought in the series with a 120-run knock. Dean Elgar also scored 81 as the hosts posted 344/6 in their 2nd innings to set a 612-run target in front of the visitors. Australia lost their top three in the 30 overs of play in the final session to finish the day with 88/3.

All the stats and numbers created during yet another day that was dominated by the hosts:

2 – Pat Cummins is only the 2nd Australian player in the last 20 years to score a fifty and take nine wickets in the same Test match. Mitchell Johnson scored 62 and 64 in the first innings of the 2010 Perth Test and 2013 Brisbane Test respectively against England and took nine wickets apiece in the game.

Johnson and Cummins are the only pacers to do this double in Test cricket since the start of 2009. Dale Steyn in the 2008 Melbourne Test against Australia and Irfan Pathan against Zimbabwe in the 2005 Bulawayo Test are the other two pacers with this double in the 21st century.

2 – Faf du Plessis became the 2nd South African captain to score a century and bag a duck in the same Test match. Graeme Smith scored 122 in the first innings of the 2012 Adelaide Test against Australia and bagged a duck in the 2nd innings.

His 120 is the 4th highest score for a captain in the 2nd innings after bagging a duck in the first innings. Billy Murdoch’s unbeaten 153 for Australia against England in the 1880 Oval Test is the highest individual score for a captain after bagging a duck in the first innings.

47 – Number of overs Josh Hazlewood bowled in this game without taking a wicket. These are the most number of overs bowled by an Australian without taking a wicket in a Test match in the last 24 years. Craig McDermott bowled 48 overs without success in the 1993 Manchester Test against England.

199 – Balls Dean Elgar needed for scoring his fifty in the 2nd innings. This is the slowest fifty in Test cricket since Abdul Razzaq’s 204-ball fifty in the 2005 Mohali Test against India.

612 – The 612-run target set by South Africa is the 3rd highest ever against Australia in Test cricket. South Africa set 632 in the 2012 Perth Test while the Aussies walked out to chase 742 against England in the 1928 Brisbane Test. This 612-run target is overall the 2nd highest in Test cricket since 2010 behind the 632 by South Africa against Australia in 2012.