After three consecutive ducks against India, Ben Stokes hits ton

Before the Rajkot Test, Ben Stokes had recorded three consecutive ducks in his first three outings vs India in Tests in 2014.

Statistical highlights after the end of the second day’s play in the opening cricket Test between India and England in Rajkot on Thursday.

# England (537) have recorded their third highest total vs India in Tests in India – the top two being 652 for seven wickets declared at Chennai in January 1985 and 559 for eight wickets declared at Kanpur in February 1964.

# Moeen Ali has recorded his fourth century in Tests – his first against India – his first three were two vs Sri Lanka and one vs Pakistan. His outstanding 117 vs India is his first century in 21 innings (12 Tests) away from home.

Moeen’s previous highest score in Tests away from home was 68 vs Bangladesh at Chittagong in October 2016.

# Thanks to his century at Rajkot, Moeen’s overseas average in Tests is 26.38 – his tally being 475 in 21 innings.

# Ten England batsmen, including Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes, have registered hundreds vs India in India in their maiden Test.

Ravindra Jadeja (3/86) has produced his best bowling performance vs England in Tests in India – his second best vs England next only to the 3 for 52 at Southampton in July 2014.

# Jadeja enjoys an outstanding bowling average in Tests in India – his tally being 67 wickets (ave 18.02) in 13 Tests.

# Stuart Broad, for the first time in Tests, has batted as number eleven batsman. Just three other batsmen have batted at this position in their respective 100th Test – Makhaya Ntini, Glenn McGrath and James Anderson.

# Ravichandran Ashwin (46-3-167-2) has conceded 160 runs or more for the third time in a Test innings – his worst being 194 runs vs Australia at Adelaide in January 2012.

# Ben Stokes has produced an outstanding knock of 128 – his first hundred vs India and his fourth in Tests – one each against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and India – all four centuries as number six batsman.

# Before the Rajkot Test, he had recorded three consecutive ducks in his first three outings vs India in Tests in 2014 – 0 at Nottingham and a PAIR – 0 & 0 at Lord’s.
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# Jonny Bairstow has amassed 1164 runs at an average of 64.66 in 13 Tests (21 innings), including three centuries and five fifties, extending his record for most runs by a wicketkeeper in a calendar year in Tests.

# Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower and Bairstow are the only wicketkeepers to have accomplished the feat of recording 1000 runs in a calendar year in Tests. Flower had scored 1045 (ave 80.38) in 16 Test innings in 2000.

# Root, Moeen Ali and Stokes have provided the tenth instance when three players from a visiting side have recorded centuries in the same Test innings in India.

# The last instance for England batsmen scoring three hundreds in the same Test innings was vs Sri Lanka at Cardiff in May 2011 – Cook (133), Trott (203) and Bell (103 not out).

BCCI requests ECB to bear expenses on India tour

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has requested the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to bear the expenses of their team's 'travel, hotel accommodation and other arrangements' on the upcoming five-Test tour, due to start in Rajkot on Friday (November 9).

In a letter addressed to Phil Neal, the England cricket team manager, BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke explained the board's lehttps://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5011533492569144360#editor/target=post;postID=6166962621817346495gal complications and their inability to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) due to lack of directives from the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee, Indian Express reported on Friday (November 4).

"Dear Phil, I warmly welcome you for the upcoming cricket series. I am however at great pains to inform you that the BCCI is at present not in a position to execute the MoU between the Indian Cricket Board and the ECB. This is due to restrictions on execution of contracts imposed on the BCCI by a Court order," Shirke wrote.

The Lodha panel clearly stated on Thursday, that BCCI will need to furnish 'relevant details' with respect to implementation of the Lodha reforms for them to be able to make any payments.

"A committee has been appointed that is also to oversee financial transactions of the BCCI," Shirke said. "The BCCI has referred this issue to the committee appointed by the Supreme Court on 28.10.2016 itself and sought urgent permission for execution of the MoU. Thereafter I have also sent the hon'ble committee a request again today. However, the Committee while seeking further details a short while ago earlier today, has not yet granted us this permission," Shirke said, before writing to Neal.

"Certain courtesies such as hotel, travel and various other arrangements have been extended to you on arrival of the team in India. However, till the MoU is executed, the BCCI is not in a position to commit to paying for the same. Please make arrangements to remit such payments. The BCCI will inform you as and when further instructions are received by the BCCI from the Lodha Committee," the letter read.

"I apologise on behalf of the BCCI for inconvenience that is being caused," Shirke added.

BCCI to convene for Special General Meeting on August 5

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has organised a Special General Meeting (SGM) with its affiliated members in Mumbai on August 5. With president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke scheduled to meet the Lodha panel on August 9 in New Delhi, the board will now discuss the the panel's recommendations that were ratified by a two-member bench of the Supreme Court. The board's lawyers are also expected to be present during the SGM.

"Yes, we have received an e-mail from the BCCI that there will be an SGM on August 5 at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai," a member of state unit told PTI on Tuesday (July 26). "The agenda is to discuss the implementation of the Supreme Court directives."

The court last week called for major changes in the structure and administration of the board and its affiliated state associations. The BCCI were also given a six month deadline to implement the changes. The major issues surrounding the implementations are expected to be discussed during the SGM so that the concerns can be conveyed to the committee by the president and secretary.

"I guess before meeting the Lodha panel in Delhi on August 9, the senior office-bearers will like to take the viewpoint of the senior state unit officials. One of the main bone of contention is the cumulative tenure part of 9 years for the office-bearers," a BCCI official said.