First Test – South Africa vs India at Centurion in Dec 2010: Fourth Day’s play

India scored 454 for 8 in the third innings of this test providing the eleventh occasion of India scoring 450 plus runs in the third innings of a test match and the first such occasion against South Africa.

R Dravid completed 12000 runs when he was on 43 in India’s second innings of this test. He was dismissed for 43. He became the third batsman in the annals of test cricket to aggregate 12000 runs. Others are SR Tendulkar {14509} and RT Ponting {12333}

SR Tendulkar was playing his 175^th test – most by any cricketer in the annals of test cricket. He made his 175^th appearance most memorable by scoring 50^th test hundred in the second innings of this test. At the end of the fourth day of this test, he had scored 107 not out.

Break up of his 50 test hundreds read thus – vs Australia {11} : vs Bangladesh {05} : vs England {07} : vs New Zealand {04} : vs Pakistan {02} : vs South Africa {06} : vs Sri Lanka {09} : vs West Indies {03} and vs Zimbabwe {03}

SR Tendulkar and MS Dhoni added 172 runs for the seventh wicket in this game providing the 19^th occasion of Indian batsmen posting a three figure partnership against South Africa. This stand provides the second occasion of Indian batsmen posting a three figure partnership for the seventh wicket against South Africa. The other occasion was the 259 runs unfinished stand between VVS Laxman and MS Dhoni at Kolkata in Feb 2010.

SR Tendulkar became the seventh batsman to score six or more hundreds against South Africa. Others are – RN Harvey of Australia {08} : RT Ponting of Australia {07} : DCS Compton of England {07} : WR Hammond of England {06} : ML Hayden of Australia {06} and H Sutcliffe of England {06}.

MS Dhoni scored 90 in this test to provide the 96^th occasion of an Indian batsman scoring a ninety against various oppositions. His knock provides the fourth occasion of his scoring an ninety. The other three occasions are – 92 vs England at The Oval in Aug 2007 : 92 vs Australia at Mohali in Oct 2000 and 98 vs New Zealand at Nagpur in Nov 2010.

With four nineties to his credit MS Dhoni became the ninth Indian batsman to score four or more nineties. Others are – R Dravid {10} : SR Tendulkar {08} : SM Gavaskar {05} : V Sehwag {05} : SC Ganguly {04} : NS Sidhu {04} : DB Vengsarkar {04} and AL Wadekar {04}

MS Dhoni’s 90 in this game provide the 13^th occasion of an Indian captain scoring a ninety against various oppositions. This knock represents his third ninety as captain. The other two occasions are – 92 vs Australia at Mohali in Oct 2008 and 98 vs New Zealand at Nagpur in Nov 2010.

With three nineties to his credit, he owns the record for most nineties by an Indian captain. SR Tendulkar and SC Ganguly have scored nineties on two occasions.

MS Dhoni’s 98 in this game provides the sixth occasion of an Indian wicket keeper batsman scoring nineties against various oppositions – MS Dhoni {04} : FM Engineer {01} and KD Karthik {01} are the batsmen who have scored nineties.

MS Dhoni’s 90 in this game provide the fifth occasion of an captain-cum-wicket keeper batsman scoring a ninety against various oppositions. This knock represents his third ninety as captain-cum-wikcet keeper batsman. The other two occasions are – 92 vs Australia at Mohali in Oct 2008 and 98 vs New Zealand at Nagpur in Nov 2010. Other two captain-cum-wicket keeper batsmen to score nineties are – 91 not out by RD Jacobs of West Indies vs Bangladesh at Dhaka in Dec 2002 and 92 by T Taibu of Zimbabwe vs Bangladesh at Chittagong in Jan 2005

MS Dhoni’s 90 in this test represent the third occasion of an Indian bastman scoring a ninety against South Africa. The other two occasions are – 96 by G Gambhir at Kanpur in Nov 2004 and 97 by SR Tendulkar at Mumbai {WS} in Feb 2000.

MS Dhoni’s 90 in this test represent the 76^th occasion of a batsman scoring a ninety against South Africa. His knock represents the 12^th occasion of a captain scoring a ninety against South Africa. His knock represents the fifth occasion of a wicket keeper batsman scoring a ninety against South Africa. MS Dhoni became the first captain-cum-wicket keeper batsman to score a ninety against South Africa.

SR Tendulkar has scored seven hundreds in the calendar year 2010 – 105* vs Bangladesh at Chittagong in Jan 2010 : 143 vs Bangladesh at Dhaka in Jan 2010 : 100 vs South Africa at Nagpur in Feb 2010 : 106 vs South Africa at Kolkata in Feb 2010 : 203 vs Sri Lanka at Col-SSC in Jul 2010 : 214 vs Australia at Bangalore in Oct 2010 and 107* vs South Africa at Centurion in Dec 2010

With seven hundreds to his credit in calendar year 2010, SR Tendulkar became the fifth batsman in the annals of test cricket to score seven or more hundreds in a calendar year. Others are – Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan {09} in 2006 : IVA Richards of West Indies {07} in 1976 : PA de Silva of Sri Lanka {07} in 1997 and RT Ponting of Australia {07} in 2006

SR Tendulkar has an aggregate of 1539 runs in the calendar year 2010 as at the end of the fourth day of this test> His feat privides the sixth occasion of batsman totaling 1500 plus runs in a calendar year in the annals of test cricket. Others are – Mohammad Yousuf of Pakistan {1788 in 2006} : IVA Richards of West Indies {1710 in 1976} : GC Smith of South Africa {1656 in 2008} : RT Ponting of Australia {1544 in 2005} and RT Ponting of Australia {1503 in 2003}