4th Innings batting average. Min 20 innings. Younis and Misbah top 2 in history.

[biffins]

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

I found this somewhat surprising that Younis and Misbah have the highest 4th innings batting average in history with a minimum cutoff of 20 innings. I think both of them are underappreciated relative to their contributions. For those wondering, Bradman averaged 75 in 4th innings but had only 15 innings in the 4th innings.

Overall figures
Player Span Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 0
Younis Khan (Pak) 2000-2015 39 33 11 1333 171* 60.59 5 5 5
Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak) 2002-2015 29 21 10 661 79* 60.09 0 8 3
G Boycott (Eng) 1965-1981 36 34 13 1234 128* 58.76 3 7 2
SM Gavaskar (India) 1971-1987 34 33 9 1398 221 58.25 4 8 2
JB Hobbs (Eng) 1908-1929 26 23 6 979 126* 57.58 2 6 1
Javed Miandad (Pak) 1976-1993 36 22 7 816 103* 54.40 2 5 1
CG Greenidge (WI) 1974-1991 41 38 12 1383 214* 53.19 3 6 1
GC Smith (ICC/SA) 2002-2014 42 41 10 1611 154* 51.96 4 9 3
RT Ponting (Aus) 1995-2012 56 43 14 1462 156 50.41 4 6 3
ML Hayden (Aus) 1994-2008 39 39 13 1287 101* 49.50 1 9 1
GS Chappell (Aus) 1970-1984 34 25 11 688 109* 49.14 1 4 2
IVA Richards (WI) 1974-1991 50 24 5 911 109* 47.94 2 6 3
A Ranatunga (SL) 1982-2000 26 20 6 667 88 47.64 0 4 2
WR Hammond (Eng) 1927-1947 25 20 5 697 140 46.46 1 3 1
PA de Silva (SL) 1985-2002 26 21 5 741 143* 46.31 1 4 0
L Hutton (Eng) 1937-1955 34 31 10 953 98* 45.38 0 7 0
IR Redpath (Aus) 1964-1976 27 22 8 634 69* 45.28 0 4 0
GA Gooch (Eng) 1978-1995 30 29 4 1121 133 44.84 3 5 1
DL Haynes (WI) 1978-1994 45 45 20 1092 112* 43.68 2 4 2
AB de Villiers (SA) 2004-2015 36 28 5 1002 106* 43.56 2 6 0
M Hafeez (Pak) 2003-2015 22 22 7 647 102* 43.13 1 3 0
M Yousuf (Pak) 1998-2010 30 25 6 817 88* 43.00 0 6 1
KC Sangakkara (SL) 2000-2015 42 34 7 1145 192 42.40 2 6 3
TW Graveney (Eng) 1951-1969 33 23 10 549 64* 42.23 0 1 3
D Jayawardene (SL) 1998-2014 47 36 10 1096 123 42.15 3 5 1
CH Gayle (WI) 2000-2014 44 43 10 1390 82 42.12 0 13 3
MA Atherton (Eng) 1989-2001 39 39 6 1375 185* 41.66 2 9 1
JH Kallis (ICC/SA) 1996-2013 57 47 15 1332 101 41.62 1 10 2
S Chanderpaul (WI) 1994-2015 63 49 11 1580 116* 41.57 2 11 4
MA Butcher (Eng) 1997-2004 28 25 6 787 173* 41.42 1 3 1
ME Waugh (Aus) 1991-2002 39 27 7 820 116 41.00 2 2 2
RN Harvey (Aus) 1948-1963 34 30 9 857 151* 40.80 1 3 1
VVS Laxman (India) 1996-2012 51 38 11 1095 103* 40.55 1 7 2
JL Langer (Aus) 1993-2007 37 33 7 1053 127 40.50 2 6 3
HM Amla (SA) 2004-2015 31 27 4 929 112 40.39 1 6 1
R Dravid (ICC/India) 1996-2012 65 57 18 1575 103* 40.38 1 9 0
MA Taylor (Aus) 1989-1998 29 29 7 881 113 40.04 2 5 0
RC Fredericks (WI) 1969-1977 22 22 5 680 138 40.00 1 5 1
IJL Trott (Eng) 2009-2015 21 20 4 628 112 39.25 1 4 1
MD Crowe (NZ) 1982-1995 23 20 8 464 84 38.66 0 2 1
G Kirsten (SA) 1994-2004 32 30 9 811 76 38.61 0 6 1
RB Richardson (WI) 1983-1995 37 27 9 695 70* 38.61 0 7 2
AN Cook (Eng) 2006-2015 39 39 7 1212 116 37.87 2 6 2
Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pak)1992-2007 40 31 8 867 138* 37.69 1 6 3
KP Pietersen (Eng) 2005-2014 37 32 5 1017 101 37.66 1 7 1
RR Sarwan (WI) 2000-2011 39 36 3 1241 128 37.60 4 4 3
SC Ganguly (India) 1996-2008 43 32 9 864 101* 37.56 1 3 3
CH Lloyd (WI) 1966-1984 37 24 6 673 91* 37.38 0 5 1
DC Boon (Aus) 1984-1995 32 28 8 745 94* 37.25 0 6 3
KF Barrington (Eng) 1959-1968 33 22 6 595 132* 37.18 1 2 1

 

[ankitj]

How did you get around Bradman?

 

[Coronis]

How did you get around Bradman?

The 20 innings cutoff. Bradman only played 15 4th innings knocks.

 

[Howe_zat]

Can't be a coincidence that they have played by far the most in the UAE. Pakistan are very difficult to beat there now for this reason

 

[Howe_zat]

In the 4th innings in the UAE Misbah averages 239.

 

[biffins]

How did you get around Bradman?

20 innings minimum is fairly common when comparing batting average records since you often get a few "NOT OUTs" or one or two innings distorting the average and longevity and a sizeable data (hence the 20 cutoff) is common when comparing records of averages.

If you reduce the cutoff to 15 innings, then it's Bradman at 1 followed by Younis at 2 and Misbah at 3. So still quite spectacular for Younis and Misbah.

 

[biffins]

Can't be a coincidence that they have played by far the most in the UAE. Pakistan are very difficult to beat there now for this reason

UAE's pitches are no more batting paradises than other grounds. Keep in mind that if it's a flat batting track you can't get to the 4th innnings in the first place! Match would be a draw well before.

Batting average in the 4th innings across the world are as follows:

Overall figures
Host Country Players Span Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 0
in Bangladesh 197 2000-2015 30 213 49 5137 121 31.32 7 23 19
in Pakistan 410 1955-2007 91 569 166 11807 138* 29.29 17 43 61
in New Zealand 598 1930-2015 123 813 222 17143 222 29.00 20 79 83
in Sri Lanka 356 1982-2015 77 570 126 12645 171* 28.47 18 58 66
in U.A.E. 85 2002-2014 18 127 29 2787 131* 28.43 2 15 20
in West Indies 687 1930-2015 172 1218 288 26122 223 28.08 29 136 139
in South Africa 619 1889-2015 146 1118 240 24111 219 27.46 20 111 104
in England 1104 1880-2015 306 2198 509 45197 221 26.75 40 208 216
in Australia 978 1877-2015 304 2428 468 51872 192 26.46 55 250 297
in Zimbabwe 239 1992-2014 35 252 56 5004 117 25.53 3 25 20
in India 576 1933-2013 150 1068 250 20800 146* 25.42 9 101 109

UAE ranks 5th out of 11 countries to host tests. Nothing unusual.

 

[marc71178]

20 innings minimum is fairly common when comparing batting average records since you often get a few "NOT OUTs" or one or two innings distorting the average and longevity and a sizeable data (hence the 20 cutoff) is common when comparing records of averages.

I would suggest that if you weren't posting with a clear agenda and actually wanted to make a valid point that you might consider a cut-off that relates to dismissals rather than innings batted...

 

[smash84]

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

I found this somewhat surprising that Younis and Misbah have the highest 4th innings batting average in history with a minimum cutoff of 20 innings. I think both of them are underappreciated relative to their contributions. For those wondering, Bradman averaged 75 in 4th innings but had only 15 innings in the 4th innings.

It is a pretty meaningless statistic IMO unless you've actually seen most of the matches that they have batted in the 4th innings. I mean it would be much more useful if you can recount a few significant innings that misbah and younis played in the 4th innings rather than thinking that they are under rated just because they have a high 4th innings average.

 

[Xuhaib]

It is a pretty meaningless statistic IMO unless you've actually seen most of the matches that they have batted in the 4th innings. I mean it would be much more useful if you can recount a few significant innings that misbah and younis played in the 4th innings rather than thinking that they are under rated just because they have a high 4th innings average.

Younis has played some really clutch 4th innings knocks to either win or save a test there are atleast half a dozen I can recollect without any cricinfo search I am sure there must be few more.

 

[Furball]

4th innings stats are over-rated.

 

[smash84]

Younis has played some really clutch 4th innings knocks to either win or save a test there are atleast half a dozen I can recollect without any cricinfo search I am sure there must be few more.

Not many come to my mind actually so was asking for a few of them