Michael Clarke: 10 Astounding Records In Test Cricket

By Bharath Seervi
Michael Clarke retired from international cricket after losing the Ashes 2015 2-3 under his captaincy. Bharath Seervi lists some important records held by Clarke in his Test career.

Australia skipper Michael Clarke who recently retired from cricket. Photo by WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks Latouche Photography

Australian skipper (and senior-most cricketer) Michael Clarke retired from Tests and international cricket after the Ashes 2015. Australia lost by a margin of 2-3 under his captaincy. He had announced retirement from One-Day Internationals (ODIs) after winning ICC World Cup 2015 for Australia at home. In an illustrious career spanning 115 Tests, yielding 8,643 runs at 49.10 with 28 centuries and 27 half-centuries, Clarke has achieved some important feats and records to be proud of. Let’s have a look at those.

1. Only Australian captain to score a triple century in Australia
Michael Clarke scored an unbeaten 329 against India at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy of 2011-12. He was captain of the side, and thus became the only Australian captain to score a triple century at home. The next best individual score by an Australian captain at home was 270 by Sir Don Bradman at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Ashes 1936-37.

2. Most double-centuries in a calendar year               
Clarke scored four double-hundreds in 2012: 329 not out against India at SCG, 210 against India at Adelaide Oval, 259 not out against South Africa at The Gabba and 230 against South Africa at Adelaide Oval. He is the only batsman to score four Test double tons in a calendar year. To add to it, he scored all as a captain.

3. Double centuries in consecutive Test innings
Clarke scored an unbeaten 259 and 230 in successive innings against South Africa in 2012. He is one among only five batsmen to score double centuries in consecutive innings. The others are Wally Hammond (twice in 1928 and 1933), Bradman (1934), Vinod Kambli (1993) and Kumar Sangakkara (2007).

4. 150s in consecutive Test innings more than once
Apart from his consecutive double centuries, Clarke scored 166 and 168 in consecutive Test innings in 2010. Thus, he has scored consecutive 150s twice in his career. He is one of only three batsmen to score 150s in consecutive innings more than once. Bradman did it five times, Hammond thrice, Clarke twice, and 29 others once each.

5. Highest batting average at No.5 position in Tests
Clarke has played 110 innings at No. 5 and has scored 5,959 runs at 60.80 with 20 hundreds and 20 fifties. Of all retired cricketers with least 20 innings at that position he has the highest average. Of current cricketers, however, some have higher averages 80 at No. 5: Joe Root has 72.60 from 27 innings, Steven Smith 66.55 from 22 and AB de Villiers 63.82 from 66. Steve Waugh (24 in 142 innings) is the only batsman to score more centuries than Clarke’s 20 at No. 5. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (6,883) and Steve Waugh (6,754) are the only ones with more runs at that position than Clarke.

6. Batting average of 100 at a particular venue
Clarke averaged 103.00 at Adelaide Oval in Australia. From 10 Tests and 13 innings, he scored 1,030 runs with five centuries and two half-centuries. With a cut-off of 10 Tests at a venue, he is one of only four batsmen to average above 100 at a particular venue. Bradman averaged 128.53 at MCG (11 Tests), VVS Laxman 110.63 at Eden Gardens (10 Tests) and Sir Garry Sobers 104.15 at Sabina Park (11 Tests).

7. Being involving in a 200-run and a 300-run partnership in the same innings
During his unbeaten innings of 329 at SCG against India in 2011-12, Clarke shared partnerships of 288 with Ricky Ponting and an unbroken 334 with Michael Hussey. He is one of only three batsmen to be involved in a 200-run and a 300-run partnership in the same innings. The other two are Len Hutton (382 with Maurice Leyland and 215 with Joe Hardstaff junior during his 364 against Australia at The Oval in 1938) and Hashim Amla (259 with Graeme Smith and unbroken 377 with Jacques Kallis during his 311* at The Oval in 2012).

8. Highest individual score on debut by an Australian in away Tests
Clarke’s Test career began with 151 at Chinnaswamy in Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2004-05. He became the sixth Australian to score a 150 on Test debut but the only one to do it while making debut overseas. He broke the 110-year-old record of Harry Graham (107 against England at Lord’s in 1893).

9. Highest individual score on debut by a visiting batsman in India
Clarke’s 151 is also the only individual score of 150 or more by a visiting batsman making his debut in Tests in India. The previous record was held by Bryan Valentine of England at Bombay Gymkhana Stadium 1933-34. It stood for 80 years.

10. Highest percentage of declarations by a captain in Tests
Clarke captained in 47 Tests. In the 88 innings that Australia batted in them, he declared 27 times. He thus declared 30.68 per cent of innings under his captaincy — the most by anyone who has led in over 20 Tests. Hammond had declared 38.23 per cent of England’s innings under his captaincy in exactly 20 Tests.

(Bharath Seervi is a cricket statistician who is obsessed with digging numbers, facts and records related to the game. An active member of Society of Cricket Statisticians of India, he blogs at www.cricketseervistats.blogspot.com. He can be followed on Twitter at @SeerviBharath and on Facebook here)

The above article is reproduced with permission from cricketcountry.com