Attention Australia. Tickets available for my extra Adelaide show tonight, 14 Dec, 6pm at Rhino Room. Dates and ticket links for my Australia shows at andyzaltzman.co.uk. Melbourne show on 23 Dec, Sydney 2&3 Jan; Bugle show in Melbourne 22 Dec.

Hello. I am tentatively de-hiatusing myself back onto social media. In time to tell you that The Bugle's 18th Birthday Live Stream show is on Sunday, 7pm UK time. Featuring me, Nish Kumar, Alice Fraser & blast-from-the-Bugle-past John Oliver. www.thebuglepodcast.com/live Available in all universes.

ATTENTION LEEDS: due to (a) the incoming mega-weather and (b) me being in Dundee for this week's News Quiz, we have had to postpone tomorrow's show at the City Varieties. It will now take place on 11 March. Your tickets are valid for the new date. If you can't come, you'll get a full refund...

STAT ALERT: Players who have made their Test debut for England men this year have taken 156 wickets (Atkinson 52, Bashir 49, Carse 27, Hartley 22, Hull 3, Bethell 3). Previous record for this stat: 85 (West Indies in 1948, & England in 2003 - Jimmy Anderson's debut year).

BUGLE ALERT - John Oliver, the man best known as the former co-host of The Bugle podcast, is back, for one episode only... www.thebuglepodcast.com/the-bugle

... The previous instances, in case you want some sparkling conversation for a party were:
Fowler/Tavare, E v NZ, Oval 1983 (added 223; after E 209, NZ 196)
Hayden/Langer, A v WI, Antigua 2003 (242; A 240, WI 240)
Abid Ali/Shan Masood, P v SL, Karachi 2019-20 (278; P191, SL 271)

Rahul & Jaiswal's 201-run 3rd-innings opening stand was only the 4th instance in men's Tests of the 3rd-inns first-wicket partnership adding more than either team scored in their 1st inns (Ind 150, Aus 104); & the first time the 3rd-inns opening stand was more than 50 greater than either 1st inns.

... also, the 29 runs Australia's top 4 managed in both innings combined is the second lowest such total in Test history (in matches where top 4 have all batted in both innings), after the 28 that West Indies' top 4 anti-amassed v Sri Lanka, Barbados 2018. stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/st...

STAT ALERT: Australia's top 4 out for 8, 10, 2 & 0 in 1st innings; 0, 4, 2 & 3 in 2nd (with nightwatchman) - the first time in Test history that a team's top 4 have all failed to pass 10 in both innings (when top 4 have all batted in both inns). Link: stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/st... ...

STAT ALERT: This is the 4th time Australia have been 6 down before reaching 50 in a home Test innings since 1952; and only the third time ever they have been 6 down for <50 in their first innings of a home Test series (also: 1978-79 Ashes; and one-off Test v Eng in 1887-88).

STAT ALERT: India lost 5th wicket at 59; Australia were 38-5. Total: 97 for 10. It is the first Test since 1987 in which, in the two teams' first innings combined, the top 5 wickets have added fewer than 100 runs. Over 1400 Tests played since it last happened. stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/st...

Attention South Londoners: I'm hosting a fantastic bill tomorrow (Weds 20th), Wandsworth Town Hall, in aid of Tooting Community Kitchen, Rackets Cubed & Home-Start Wandsworth. Batting line-up: Mark Steel, Carl Donnelly, Don Biswas, Kerry Godliman and Bobby Mair. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wandsworth...

Hello. Andy Zaltzman here. Bringing cricket stats and assorted hogwash to BlueSky. The Bugle podcast also has an account - @thebugle.bsky.social. Will see how things go on here, at least until it's taken over by an patently-fictitious gazillionaire.