First Test : India vs Australia at Mohali – Oct 2010 : First day’s highlights

Australia won the toss in this test and batted first providing the 34^th occasion of Australia doing so in India-Australia test series. It also provides the 20^th such occasions in tests played in India.

This test is VVS Laxman’s 25^th test against Australia. He became the third Indian cricketer to appear in 25 or more tests against Australia. Others are SR Tendulkar {30} and R Dravid {27}. VVS Laxman went past two other Indian cricketers – GR Viswanath and DB Vengsarkar – who have played 24 tests against Australia

Mohali test became RT Ponting’s tenth test in which he has captained Australia against India. He is on par with RB Simpson and SR Waugh who have led Australia in ten tests against India. Only AR Border with 11 tests to his credit has led Australia in more tests against India than these three – RT Ponting, RB Simpson and SR Waugh. Thus, RT Ponting became the fourth Australian captain to lead in ten or more tests against India.

RT Ponting’s feat of captaining Australia in tests against India provides the 75^th occasion of a captain leading his country in ten or more tests against an opponent. It also provides the 24^th occasion of an Australian captain leading in ten or more tests against an opponent.

RT Ponting has led Australia in ten or more tests against three specific oppositions – vs Eng {15}, vs Ind {10} and vs SAF {12}. He earned the distinction of becoming the sixth captain in the annals of test cricket to lead a country against three or more specific oppositions. Others are – AR Border of Aus {04}, CH Lloyd of Win {04}, GC Smith of SAF {04}, SP Fleming of NZl {03} and MAK Pataudi of India {03}

SR Tendulkar had played 29 tests against Australia prior to the start of the series. Mohali test is his 30^th test against Australia. He became the third Indian batsman to play 30 plus tests against specific opposition. Others are – SM Gavaskar – 38 tests against England and GR Viswanath – 30 tests against England.

SR Tendulkar became the first Indian cricketer to play 30 tests against Australia. He is the 23^rd Cricketer to play 30 or more tests against Australia. The break up of 22 cricketers read thus – 18 England cricketers and 04 West Indian cricketers.

Mohali test became the first test ever to witness rival batsmen batting at number three to have an aggregate of 9000 plus runs. RT Ponting of Australia {9519} and R Dravid of India {9065} had an aggregate of 9000 plus runs prior to the start of this test

Mohali test is the 75^th test for SR Tendulkar at home. He became the fourth cricketer to appear in 75 home tests. Others are – SR Waugh {89}, AR Border {86} and RT Ponting {79}. SR Tendulkar became the first cricketer from any country other than Australia to appear in 75 home tests

Mohali test is the 68^th away test {including neutral tests} for RT Ponting. He went past ME Waugh who has played 67 away tests and occupy the fourth place among the Australians who have appeared in most away tests – SR Waugh {79}, SK Warne {76}, AR Border {70} and RT Ponting {68}

RT Ponting was run out for 71 in this test providing the 14^th occasion of his run out dismissal in a test innings. He has been dismissed run out on most occasions in the annals of test cricket. Others batsmen who are dismissed run out on ten or more occasions are – AR Border {12}, R Dravid {12}, ML Hayden {12}, CL Hooper {10} and GS Sobers {10}

RT Ponting’s dismissal for 71 provides the fifth occasion of his being dismissed run out after scoring a half-century in a test innings. The other occasions are – for 54 vs South Africa at Adelaide in Dec 2001, for 89 vs South Africa at Durban in Mar 2002, for 52 vs Bangladesh at Chittagong in Apr 2006 and for 66 vs England at The Oval in Aug 2009

RT Ponting owns the record for most run out after scoring a half-century in tests. The other batsmen who have been dismissed run out with a half century on four occasions are – SP Fleming of New Zealand, DL Haynes of West Indies and JHB Waite of South Africa

RT Ponting’s run out for 71 in this test provide the 297^th occasion of a batsman dismissed run out in a test innings after scoring a half century. His run out provides the 68^th occasion of an Australian batsman run out with a half century.

RT Ponting became the fifth Australian batsman to be dismissed run out with a half century against India. The complete list read thus – WA Brown for 99 at Melbourne in Feb 1948, RB Simpson for 77 at Chennai in Oct 1964, SR Waugh for 80 at Kolkata in Mar 1998, MEK Hussey for 80 at Nagpur in Nov 2000 and RT Ponting for 71 at Mohali in Oct 2010

RT Ponting’s run out for 71 provides the 33^rd occasion of a batsman dismissed run out in a test innings against India after scoring a half century.

RT Ponting’s run out for 71 provides the ninth occasion of his run out in a test innings while leading Australia and is a record for most run outs by a captain in a test innings in the annals of test cricket.

RT Ponting’s 71 in this game represent his 51^st fifty {19 C plus 32 HC} as captain. He is now on par with AR Border who has also scored 51 fifties {15 C plus 36 HC} as captain. RT Ponting and AR Border are the only two captains to have scored 50 fifties as captains.

RT Ponting’s 71 in this game represent his 92^nd fifty as a batsman {39 C plus 53 HC}. Only SR Tendulkar has scored more fifties {48 C plus 56 HC} than RT Ponting in the annals of test cricket

RT Ponting’s 71 in this test is his 13^th fifty {06 C plus 07 HC} against India and is on par with AR Border who also had scored 13 fifties against India. Only ML Hayden with 14 fifties is ahead of AR Border and RT Ponting

Harbhajan Singh captured his 80^th Australian test wicket when he had MJ Clarke caught by R Dravid for 14 in this test. He went past N Kapil Dev’s 79 test wickets aggregate against Australia and occupies the second place amongst the Indian bowlers who have captured most wickets against Australia. A Kumble with 111 wickets tops the list,

Harbhajan Singh claimed his 250^th test wicket through catches when he had MJ Clarke caught by R Dravid for 14 in this test {222 catches by fielders and 28 catches by wicket keepers},

Harbhajan Singh became the tenth bowler in the annals of test cricket to capture 250 plus wickets through catches. Others are M Muralitharan {435}, SK Warne {418}, GD McGrath {373}, CA Walsh {349}, A Kumble {345}, M Ntini {294}, SM Pollock {272}, CEL Ambrose {269} and RJ Hadlee {256}

R Dravid extended his catches aggregate to 197 when he caught MJ Clarke of Harbjhajan Singh for 14 in this test. It was his 46^th catch against Australia. It was his 31^st catch against Australia on home soil, Only GS Chappell of Australia has pouched more catches against a specific opposition {38 vs England} on home soil. Thus R Dravid with his 31 catches against Australia at home occupies the second place amongst fieldsmen who have taken most catches at home. R Dravid went past WG Grace’s {of England} 30 catches against Australia at home. GS Chappell {38}, R Dravid {31} and WG Grace {30} are the three fieldsmen in the annals of test cricket to pouch 30 plus more catches against a specific opposition at home.

R Dravid-Harbhajan Singh {fieldsman/bowler combination} has accounted for 48 batsmen so far in tests including that of MJ Clarke in this test. This pair now stands fourth in the list of fieldsmen/bowler combination in the list of most dismissals effected. The other three are – DPMD Jayawardene/M Muralitharan {77}, R Dravid/A Kumble {55} and MA Taylor/SK Warne {51}.

SR Watson and RT Ponting added 141 runs for the second wicket in this test to provide the 92^nd occasion of Australian batsmen posting a three-figure partnership against India. This stand also provides the 12^th occasion of Australian batsmen posting a three-figure partnership for the second wicket against India.

SR Watson and RT Ponting added 141 runs for the second wicket in this test to provide the 39th occasion of Australian batsmen posting a three-figure partnership against India in India. This stand also provides the sixth occasion of Australian batsmen posting a three-figure partnership for the second wicket against India in India.

SR Watson and RT Ponting added 141 runs for the second wicket in this test to provide the 79th occasion of RT Ponting to be one of the partners in a three-figure partnership. Only R Dravid with 82 three-figure partnerships to his credit has more such partnerships then RT Ponting

SR Watson’s 101 not out in this test represent the 83^rd occasion of an Australian batsman scoring a hundred against India. His knock also represents the 26^th occasion of an Australian opening batsman scoring a hundred against India.

SR Watson’s 101 not out in this test represent the second hundred of his test career, the first being his 120 not out against Pakistan at Melbourne in Dec 2009. Thus, his 101 not out is his first hundred on away soil. The previous best was 78 against India at Mohali in Oct 2008

RT Ponting with his 71 in this test has an aggregate of 1858 runs against India. He now needs 31 runs more to become the highest Australian run getter against India. ML Hayden has 1888 runs.

RT Ponting has an aggregate of 9590 runs while batting at number three at the end of the first day of this test. His 71 in this test represents the 72^nd fifty {32 C plus 40 HC}. His 71 in this test represents his 40^th half century while batting at number three. Only R Dravid of India has scored more half centuries {45} than RT Panting at this position. R Dravid and RT Ponting are the only two batsmen to have scored 40 plus half centuries while batting at number three in the annals of test cricket.

At the end of the first day of this test, RT Ponting has an aggregate of 1361 runs against India while batting at number three. It is a series record {India-Australia} for most runs by a batsman batting at number three. India’s R Dravid who aggregated 1312 runs at this position held the previous record. RT Ponting went past R Dravid when he was on 23 during his knock of 71 in the first innings of this test. RT Ponting had an aggregate of 1290 runs prior to the start of this test.

RT Ponting with an aggregate of 1858 runs at the end of the first day occupies the fourth place in the list of most run getters in India-Australia test series. The other three are – SR Tendulkar {2748}, VVS Laxman {2204} and ML Hayden {1888}. RT Ponting went past R Dravid’s total of 1837 when he was on 50 during the course of his knock of 71 in this innings.