A rare recent double for Pakistan

Stats highlights from the third day of the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka

20-Oct-2011

Among innings for which balls-faced data is available, Taufeeq's 496-ball innings is the sixth-longest; this excludes Hanif Mohammad's 337 against West Indies in 1958, which lasted 970 minutes. Hanif would have faced more deliveries in his knock, but the balls-faced data isn't available for that match.

Taufeeq's knock was only the 34th double-century by a Pakistan batsman in 360 Tests, which works out to an average of one every 10.59 Tests. Australia lead the way with 62, though they've played 733 Tests. England (51), West Indies (47) and India (40) are the other sides with more double-hundreds than Pakistan. (Click here for the full list of teams and their double-hundreds.)

Taufeeq joins 17 other Pakistan batsmen in the 200-club, six of whom are openers. Javed Miandad leads the way with six, while Zaheer Abbas and Mohammad Yousuf (four each) are the only others with more than three. The period when Miandad and Zaheer were around was also the most productive for Pakistan in terms of double-hundreds: between January 1980 and December 1990, Pakistan's batsmen amassed 13 double-hundreds in 89 Tests, an average of one every 6.85 Tests, which is considerably better than their overall average. Since 1991, Pakistan have only managed 13 more in 166 Tests (average 12.77), which suggests that their ability to make big scores has fallen away considerably.

Taufeeq also became only the third left-hand batsman from Pakistan to score a Test double - the previous two are Wasim Akram and Aamer Sohail. Saeed Anwar, easily the best left-hander Pakistan have produced, had a highest of 188 not out.

Thanks to Taufeeq's effort, though, Pakistan's innings lasted 174.4 overs. (It would have lasted several more had they not declared.) Only four times since 2000 have Pakistan played more overs in an innings. Of their top five such efforts, three have been against Sri Lanka (the other two were against New Zealand).

Rangana Herath became the fifth Sri Lankan bowler to bowl more than 60 overs in a Test innings. Muttiah Muralitharan dominates that list, having bowled 60 or more overs on eight occasions.

Taufeeq Umar Azhar Ali Mohammad Hafeez Pakistan Sri Lanka Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Sri Lanka tour of United Arab Emirates

S Rajesh is stats editor of ESPNcricinfo. Follow him on Twitter