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Will the Voges–Khawaja run-athon continue in Christchurch?

19th February, 2016
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Adam Voges hung up his helmet with a ridiculous Test average. (AAP/Dave Hunt)
Expert
19th February, 2016
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With the second and final Test for the Trans–Tasman Trophy starting today on the grassy Christchurch pitch, the statisticians are rubbing their hands in anticipation.

Although David Warner, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Joe Burns and Ross Taylor have batted with authority and conviction from last November until now in seven Tests, Adam Voges and Usman Khawaja have stolen the show with their amazing, almost Bradman-esque, run-scoring sprees.

In these seven Tests (four against New Zealand and three against the West Indies), Voges has amassed 899 runs at an awesome average of 179.80 with four centuries (269 not out, 239, 119 and 106 not out) and one fifty.

In his short Test career of nine months, the 36 year-old Voges has scored 1267 runs at 97.46 in 14 Tests (13 completed innings) with five centuries (highest score 269 not out) and three fifties.

An unbeaten 33 or 133 out in the first innings of the Christchurch Test this weekend will give him an average of 100.00, above Sir Don Bradman’s iconic 99.94.

In the December 2015 Hobart Test, Voges (269 not out) outscored the West Indies (223 all out) in the first innings. And his batting partner in Australia’s only innings, Shaun Marsh (182), scored more runs than the Windies total of 148 in the second.

The fourth wicket stand of 449 runs between Voges and Marsh was 78 runs more than the Windies total 371 in both the innings.

Voges continued in New Zealand from what he had left off in Australia in this golden summer for him.

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In the recently concluded Wellington Test, he outscored New Zealand in the first innings, stroking a magnificent 239, which was 56 runs more than the opponents’ 183 all out.

Khawaja has been equally prolific this summer. In four Tests, he has stroked 644 runs at 128.80 with four centuries (highest score 174) and one fifty.

He is averaging over 100 in three consecutive Test series; 152.00 against New Zealand in Australia, 100.00 against West Indies in Australia and so far 140.00 v. New Zealand in New Zealand.

Bradman could never average 100 in two successive Test series in his long Test career ranging from 1928 to 1948.

Only Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara has 100-plus batting average in four successive Test series: 113.33 v. South Africa in 2006, 134.00 v. New Zealand, 2006-07, 428.00 v. Bangladesh, 2007 and 124.50 v. Australia, 2007-08.

So Aussie Aussie Ussie is on the way to approach the great Sangakkara.

As for the New Zealanders, things couldn’t be much worse.

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When New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum, playing his 100th Test, made a duck in the first innings in Wellington last Friday he joined the legendary Allan Border.

Border was the eighth cricketer and first Australian to play 100 Tests. He brought up his century against the West Indies in Melbourne in December 1988. Captaining Australia, he was given a standing ovation by over 26,000 MCG fans as he reached the batting crease.

Unfortunately he lasted only eight minutes and five balls as the Windies fast bowler Curtly Ambrose bowled Border for a duck. The next day’s newspapers carried cruel headlines. The Sydney Morning Herald said “Border’s day is Curtly curtailed” and the Daily Telegraph said “AB Duck is a bitter pill to swallow”.

And Australia lost by 285 runs.

In the next Test in Sydney in January 1989, Border scored 75 and 16 not out as Australia won by seven wickets.

This could be the inspiration McCullum needs in his 101st and final Test.

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