Hyderabad Test – First day’s highlights

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium became the 102^nd ground in the annals of test cricket to host a test match. Dubai International Stadium which hosts the Pakistan and South Africa test match is numbered as 101^st ground

It is a common practice to number the event in cricket in the Alphabetical order. Between Dubai and Hyderabad, Dubai comes first in the Alphabetical order and hence is numbered as 101^st ground.

Hyderabad became the 19^th city in the annals of test cricket to host test matches on two or more grounds.

Hyderabad became the fifth Indian City to host tests on two or more grounds. Others are – Mumbai {03}, Chennai {02}, Nagpur {02} and Lucknow {02}

Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium earned the distinction of becoming the 21^st ground in India to host a test match.

Hyderabad Test is DL Vettori’s 14^th test against India and he now shares the record of most appearances against India with RJ Hadlee, who has also played 14 tests against India.

MS Dhoni was playing his 50^th test of his career in this test. He became the 23^rd wicket keeper in the annals of test cricket to appear in 50 plus tests. He is the second Indian wicket keeper to appear in 50 plus tests after SMH Kirmani who had played 88 tests..

MS Dhoni effected his 71^st dismissal as captain-cum-wicket keeper when he caught BB McCullum of S Sreesanth for 4 in this test. He now owns the record for most dismissals as captain-cum-wicket keeper in the annals of test cricket. He wrested the record form FM Alexander of West Indies who had 70 dismissals. He added one more to his list when he caught LRPL Taylor of Zaheer Khan for 24 to take his tally to 72 at the end of first day’s play

MJ Guptill scored 85 in this game which represent the 92^nd occasion of a New Zealand batsman scoring a half century against India. It was his fourth test half century and fifth fifty.

TJ McIntosh scored 102 in this test to provide the 36^th occasion of a New Zealand batsman scoring a hundred against India. His knock provides the 13^th occasion of a New Zealand opening batsman scoring a hundred against India.

TG McIntosh scored 102 in this test to provide the 59^th occasion of a New Zealand opening batsman scoring a hundred against various oppositons. It represents his second hundred as an opening batsman, the first being his 136 vs West Indies at Napier in Dec 2008.

TG McIntosh’s 102 and MJ Guptill’s 85 in this test represent the 127^th and 128^th occasion of a New Zealand batsman scoring a fifty against India.

LRPL Taylor completed 2000 runs of his test career when he was on 3 during his knock of 24 in this test. At the end of New Zealand’s first innings, his aggregate stood at 2021. He became the 24^th New Zealand batsman to amass 2000 plus test runs.

Zaheer Khan’s tally of home wickets stood at 95 at the end of the first day’s play. He is on par with EAS Prasanna who has also taken 95 wickets at home. Zaheer Khan went past S Venkataraghavan who has taken 94 wickets at home. The following bowlers have taken more wickets at home than Zaheer Khan and EAS Prasanna – A Kumble {350}, Harbhajan Singh {249}, N Kapil Dev {219}, BS Chandrashekhar {142}, BS Bedi {137}, J Srinath {108} and MH Mankad {103}.