RT Ponting’s 71 in the first innings of the first test at Mohali against India gave him one more distinction. It was his 40^th fifty {20 C plus 20 HC} in the first innings of a test match and with it the record for most fifties by a batsman while batting in the first innings of a test match. It is also a record for an Australian batsman in this category of statistics. He went past SR Tendulkar and SR Waugh who had scored 39 fifties. SR Tendulkar’s 39 fifties contains 20 C and 19 HC while SR Waugh’s 39 fifties contains 17 C plus 22 HC

RT Ponting became the fourth batsman to score 20 half centuries while batting in the first innings of a test match. Others are – AR Border of Australia {27}, SR Waugh of Australia {22} and ME Waugh of Australia {22}. This is an all-Australian record.

Both SR Tendulkar and RT Ponitng have played 80 tests and 80 innings. SR Tendulkar has an aggregate of 5308 runs while RT Ponting has an aggregate of 4887 runs. He went past SR Waugh’s 4855 runs when he was on 40 during his innings of 71 in this test. RT Ponting now owns the Australian record of most runs by a batsman while batting in the first innings of a test match

Statistics as of 01.10.10, the first day of the first test match between India and Australia at Mohali