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Statistical highlights: India vs SA, 2nd Test, Day 3

February 17, 2010 08:35 IST

Statistical highlights of the third day's play in the second Test between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday.

# India, with 643 for six wickets declared, established a record for the highest total in India-South Africa Tests -- the previous best being India's 627 at Chennai in March 2008.

# India's total of 643 for six wickets declared is their second highest at Eden Gardens -- their highest being the 657 for seven wickets declared against Australia in March 2001.

# Four Indian players (Sehwag, Tendulkar, Laxman and Dhoni) posted hundreds in the same Test innings for the second time -- the first instance being the 2007 Mirpur Test against Bangladesh when Dinesh Karthik 129, Wasim Jaffer 139 (retired hurt), Rahul Dravid 129 and Sachin Tendulkar 122 not out -- had recorded centuries.

# The Kolkata Test has recorded six centuries -- the first instance in any Test between India and South Africa.

# Mahendra Singh Dhoni (132 not out) registered his highest and first century against South Africa.  

# Dhoni's aforesaid unbeaten knock is his highest in India, surpassing the 110 against Sri Lanka at Ahmedabad in November 2009.

# Dhoni posted his first century at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He is also the first wicketkeeper to score four centuries in Tests for India.

# The unbroken seventh-wicket 259-run partnership between Laxman and Dhoni is India's highest for the seventh wicket in Tests, surpassing the 235 between Ravi Shastri and Syed Kirmani against England at Mumbai in November 1984.

# The aforesaid partnership is India's highest at Eden Gardens, bettering the 101 between Mohammad Azharuddin and Roger Binny against Pakistan in February 1987.

# VVS Laxman's outstanding knock of 143 not out is his highest against South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

# The aforesaid innings is Laxman's first century under Dhoni's captaincy, bettering the 64 against Australia at Nagpur in November 2008.

# Except Mohammad Azharuddin, Laxman recorded hundreds under all captains he played against.

# Laxman posted his first hundred against South Africa -- his 15th in Tests. His previous best knock against South Africa was 89 at Port Elizabeth in November 2001.

# Laxman became the first player to complete 1,000 runs at Eden Gardens, aggregating 1041 (ave.94.63) in nine Tests, including four hundreds and three fifties.

# Gavaskar is the only Indian to aggregate 1,000 runs at two venues -- 1122 (ave.56.10), including five hundreds, in 11 Tests at Wankhede Stadium and 1018 (ave.59.88), including three hundreds, in 12 Tests at Chepauk, Chennai.

#  Amit Mishra's 28 off 38 balls is his highest knock in India and the second best overall, next only to the 50 against Bangladesh at Chittagong last month.