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5 surprising facts about high profile cricketers that you probably didn't know

Cricket is such an overwhelmingly large beast. It is so incredibly large that it is a wonder most fans haven’t taken a moment to think about the scale of operations.There is organised cricket in all corners of the world, in all formats of the game, at any given time – to say nothing of informal games in the gullies of the subcontinent or the beaches of Australia. International, county, state, school level – you name it, there’ll be something going on.In such a saturated environment, only the most noteworthy performances stand out and are remembered in the years to come. Fans remember India’s memorable win at Port-of-Spain in 1971, but often forget Jack Noreiga took 9/95 in India’s first innings in only his second Test.It does not come as a surprise, then, that many significant milestones are reached in unusual circumstances. They may have been quietly accumulated over a period of time, or have remained standing for several years.They may take the form of surprising statistical validation for some, or of cricketing stories for others to tell their children and grandchildren. Here are five such facts.

#1 Vinod Kambli has a higher Test average than Sachin Tendulkar

Vinod Kambli racked up two double hundreds on the trot against Zimbabwe and England.

Yes, who would have thought it? After initially coming to prominence following a world record stand of 664 runs in the Harris Shield in 1988, Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli seemed destined for greatness.

It was all incredibly exciting. Tendulkar debuted for the national side the following year, scarcely old enough to vote or drink alcohol (...legally), and Kambli followed in 1993.

Their close friendship was well known and circumstance ensured the public didn’t forget about it in a hurry; one was often at the opposite end of the pitch when the other reached a personal milestone.

Vinod Kambli enjoyed a sensational start to his career, but the euphoria didn’t last long. He crashed and burned spectacularly – never the same after Courtney Walsh and his soldiers mercilessly exposed his weakness against the short ball in late 1994 – a little short of two years after his Test debut. He featured only sparingly thereafter.

Kambli’s later career was besieged by controversy and his exit was anything but glorious. If one did not know the whole story, they would no doubt have wondered why a scorer of two consecutive triple hundreds did not receive a better farewell.

Kambli, though, can claim his due. He may have played 183 Tests fewer but Kambli boasts a Test average of 54.2 while Tendulkar mustered 53.78. Kambli even has a better first class average: 59.67 versus 57.84.

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