Published: Jan 04, 2019, 11:53 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 04, 2019, 11:53 AM (IST)
During their march to a mammoth 622/7 declared on Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which was headlined by Cheteshwar Pujara’s marathon 193 and a career-best 159* from Rishabh Pant, India ticked off a slew of statistical milestones.
Here are some of the nuggets from Friday’s play:
– During the course of his 373-ball 193, Pujara took his tally of balls faced in the series to 1258, meaning he claimed the record for visiting batsmen in a series of four Tests or less on Australian soil. Back in the 1928-29 Ashes, England legend Herbert Sutcliffe faced 1237 balls across 7 innings for his 355 runs. During India’s tour of Australia in 2003-4, Rahul Dravid faced 1203 deliveries while scoring 619 runs in eight innings for an average of 51.45, with one double-hundred and three fifties.
– Overall for visiting batsmen in Australia, Pujara’s 1258 deliveries consumed this series ranks as the ninth most.
– Pant surpassed Farokh Engineer’s 89 as the best score by an Indian wicketkeeper in Australia and made him the first to score a Test century in the country.
– Pant’s 159* off 189 deliveries is the highest Test score by an Indian wicketkeeper, surpassing the 148t that Dhoni made against Pakistan at Faisalabad in 2006.
– This innings also equaled the highest score by an Asian wicketkeeper outside of Asia, matching Mushfiqur Rahim’s 159* in Wellington in 2017.
– India’s total of 622/7 declared is their fourth highest total in a Test outside of Asia.
– This is the third time that India have put up 600 at the SCG, the most by any visiting team. India’s highest score away from home remains the 705/7 declared scored during the 2003-04. Friday’s effort surpassed the 600/4 declared made at the SCG in 1985-86 to slot in at second place.
– The Pant-Jadeja stand of 204 is the highest seventh-wicket partnership in Australia, beating the 185 put on by Graham Yallop and Greg Matthews against Pakistan at the MCG in 1983.
– This alliance is also India’s sixth-highest for the seventh wicket in Tests, and second highest overseas after the 217 put on by VVS Laxman and Ajay Ratra at St John’s in 2002.
– Their stand is now the highest seventh-wicket partnership for any visiting team in Australia.
– Nathan Lyon has now bowled 242.1 overs, or 1452 deliveries, this the series which is the most by an Australian in a four-Test series since 1970.
