*Stats highlights from day two of the third Test between Pakistan and New Zealand in Sharjah
78 Balls in which Brendon McCullum got to his century, the fastest by a New Zealand batsman. The earlier record was 81 balls, by Ross Taylor versus Australia, in 2010.
7/94 Mark Craig’s figures from the first innings. These are the best bowling figures in Sharjah, with the previous best being Shoaib Akhtar’s 5 for 24 versus West Indies in 2002. Saeed Ajmal is the only other bowler to take a seven-wicket haul in the UAE.3 New Zealand spinners who have taken seven wickets in an innings – Craig, Stephen Booke and Daniel Vettori (twice). No New Zealand spinner has ever taken more than seven wickets.
61 Runs scored by New Zealand in the first 10 overs of their first innings. Since 2001, this is the only instance of New Zealand scoring at six runs per over in the first 10 overs of a Test innings.
101 Catches taken by Ross Taylor in Tests; he took three in the first innings. Taylor is the second New Zealand fielder to take 100 catches, after Stephen Fleming (171), and the 33rd overall.
198 Partnership runs for the unbroken second-wicket stand between McCullum and Kane Williamson. This is the highest partnership for New Zealand against Pakistan, for any wicket. This the third-highest second-wicket stand for New Zealand, and the 10th-highest against Pakistan by any team.
2 Instances of Mohammad Hafeez being dismissed in the 190s. He made his career-best score of 197, and was dismissed for 196 against Sri Lanka in 2012. Only one batsman has been dismissed more often in the 190s, Mohammad Yousuf, three times.
4 Sixes hit by New Zealand in the first 10 overs of their first innings. Since 2001, this is the second-most sixes hit by any team in the first 10 overs of an innings. West Indies hit six sixes in the first 10 overs against New Zealand earlier this year.
5.53 New Zealand’s run rate during their first innings so far (249 runs in 45 overs). This is New Zealand’s highest run rate for an innings of 200-plus score. There are only seven previous instances of a team scoring 200-plus runs at a run rate of 5.50 or more in a Test innings.
30 Balls in which McCullum got to his fifty, the second-fastest by a New Zealand batsman. The record is 29 balls, by Tim Southee versus England, in 2008.
5 Instances of New Zealand’s spinners picking up nine wickets in an innings; including today. They have taken all ten wickets twice.
