5 cricketers with unique records in Test cricket
The game of cricket has seen many strange events, incidents and records occur on the cricket field. Not all cricketers have the distinction of having their names being registered in the record books for the right reasons.
While cricketers playing the game aim to excel in their field, we look at five players that have records that they would not be too proud of.
5. Sunil Ambris - Out hit wicket twice in his first two Tests
27-year-old Sunil Ambris of the West Indies made his debut against New Zealand in Wellington back in 2017. He has the distinction of being the first cricketer to be out hit wicket on the first ball he faced in Test cricket. If that was not enough, he once again in his third Test innings was out hit wicket, making him the first batsman in the history of Test cricket to be out hit wicket twice in his first two Tests.
Ambris had an impressive start to the tour of New Zealand, scoring a brilliant 153 against New Zealand A in the first practice game before getting out hit wicket twice in his first two Tests. The right-handed batsman would have hoped for his career to turn out better than it did, having played a total of only 6 Tests in the last three years.
4. Courtney Walsh - The most number of ducks in Test history
Courtney Walsh was feared by one and all when he had the cricket ball in his hand. Walsh, at one point of time, held the world record for the most number of Test wickets with 519. However, there is a record to his credit which Walsh will not be proud of.
The fiery fast bowler from the Caribbean has scored the highest number of ducks in Test cricket: 43 ducks in 185 Test innings. Former New Zealand pacer Chris Martin comes a distant second with 36 ducks.
3. Geoff Allot - Most balls faced for a duck
The New Zealand tailender holds the record for most balls faced for a duck Tests. Geoff Allott, in a Test against South Africa at Eden Park in 1999, supported Chris Harris well after coming in at number 11 and survived 76 balls without scoring a run.
He batted for 101 minutes for his 77-ball duck and gave good company to the batsman at the other end, Chris Harris. Their 32-run partnership came to an end when Jacques Kallis finally dismissed Allot.
2. Ajit Agarkar - Most consecutive Test ducks
Ajit Agarkar, at a point of time, held the record for scoring the fastest 50 by an Indian in ODI cricket. Agarkar has a Test century at Lords to his credit. But if there is one record which the former Indian bowler would want to forget is the duck trail which followed him in the Test series against Australia in 1999.
Agarkar scored 5 consecutive ducks against Australia in 1999 (1 in Adelaide, 2 golden ducks in Melbourne, 1 golden duck in Sydney followed by another one in the second innings in Sydney). He scored 2 more ducks against Australia in 2001 when the team from Down Under toured India which made it 7 consecutive ducks against the Australians.
1. Len Hopwood- Most overs without picking up a wicket
Len Hopwood holds the unique record of bowling the maximum number of deliveries without picking up a wicket in Test cricket. Hopwood, who represented England in two Tests against Australia in the 1934 Ashes, bowled 77 overs (462 balls) without picking up a wicket.
He finished his Test career with figures of 0-155 in the two Tests of his international career.