Statistical highlights: Third day at Harare

Mohandas Menon

  Harbhajan Singh’s and Ashish Nehra’s figures of 4 for 71 & 4 for 72 respectively were statistically the two best Test performances by an Indian bowler in Zimbabwe. Leg-spinner Anil Kumble had figures of 4-87 at this same venue in October 1998.

  Grant Flower in his last two innings (71 and 86) against India has aggregated 157 runs in 619 minutes (10 hours, minutes) from 474 balls!

  Sachin Tendulkar (69, when on 19) became the second highest run scorer for India in Tests. He bettered the aggregate of 6868 runs by Dilip Vengsarkar, who made his runs in 116 matches and 185 innings, while Tendulkar was appearing in his 84th Test and 135th innings. Now only Sunil Gavaskar (10122 runs in 125 Tests and 214 innings) have scored more than Tendulkar’s aggregate of 6919 runs.

  It is interesting to note that Gavaskar had scored 7313 runs after his 84th Test (& 147 innings), but could manage only 6766 runs after his 135th innings. This means that Tendulkar in the same number of innings (135) has aggregated 153 runs more. In fact, in Test cricket history since 1877, only Englishman Walter Hammond (7095 runs) and West Indian Gary Sobers (6942) have scored more runs than Tendulkar at this stage of their career (i.e. after 135 innings).

  The partnership of 118 runs between SS Das and Tendulkar was India’s best in Zimbabwe for the third wicket. They better the previous best of 52 (unbeaten) between the same pair in the second innings of the first Test at Bulawayo.

  Incidentally, this was Tendulkar’s 40 hundred-plus partnership in Tests and his 19th for the third wicket. His other partnerships being: 4th wkt: (8 times); 5th wkt: (9); 6th wkt: (2); 7th wkt: (2). Among Indians only Gavaskar has more 100-plus partnerships - 58, while Pakistani Javed Miandad is the only one to have more 100-plus partnerships (22) for the third wicket than Tendulkar.