First Test – Fifth Day – Test Drawn

Harbhajan Singh scored 69 and 115 in this test to provide the 13^th occasion of an Indian batsman scoring fifties in both innings of a test against New Zealand.

VVS Laxman’s 91 plus in the second innings of this test represents his 47th test half century and 63^rd fifty.

Harbhajan Singh with his 69 and 115 became the third Indian batsman to score fifties in both innings of a test against New Zealand at Ahmedabad. Others are – 125 and 53 by SC Ganguly in Oct 1999 and 222 and 73 by R Dravid in Oct 2003.

VVS Laxman {91} and Harhajan Singh {115} scored fifties in India’s second innings providing the 50^th and 51^st occasion of Indian batsman scoring fifties in its second innings against New Zealand

DL Vettori deployed BB McCullum to bowl the last over before Lunch on the final day, which was his fist over of his test career and in representative International cricket.

Harbhajan Singh’s twin fifties in this test – 69 and 115 – makes him the fourth batsman who has scored twin fifties while batting at number eight. Others are – 117 and 57* of EL Dalton of South Africa vs England at The Oval in Aug 1935, 92 and 63 by APE Knott of England vs Australia at The Oval in Aug 1972 and 85 and 51 by GJ Whittal of Zimbabwe at Bloemfontein in Oct 1999

VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh added 163 runs in the second innings to provide the 51^st occasion of Indian batsmen posting a three figure partnership against New Zealand. This stand also provide the third occasion of Indian batsmen posting a three figure partnership for the seventh wicket against New Zealand, The other two occasions are – 116 runs between BP Patel and SMH Kirmani at Wellington in Feb 1976 and 128 runs between SR Tendulkar and KS More at Napier in Feb 1990

Thus 163 runs stand between VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh represents the record stand for the seventh wicket by Indian batsman against New Zealand. This stand also represents the record stand for the seventh wicket by Indian batsmen against New Zealand on home soil. The previous best on home soil was – 73 runs between P Bhandari and RG Nadkarni at Delhi in Dec 1955. Thus VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh rewrote a 55 years old home soil record.

VVS Laxman’s 91 in this test provide the eighth occasion of an Indian batsman scoring a ninety against New Zealand. Others are – 90 by VL Manjrekar at Kolkata in Dec 1955, 90 by FM Engineer at Chennai in Feb 1965, 99 by RF Surti at Auckland in Mar 1968, 94 by K Srikkanth at Mumbai in Nov 1988, 96 by WV Raman at Christchurch in Feb 1990, 95 by M Prabhakar at Napier in Feb 1990 and 98 by NS Sidhu at Hamilton in Mar 1994

Harbhajan Singh’s hundred {115} in this test provide the 100^th hundred by Indian batsmen in India’s second innings.

Harbhajan Singh scored his maiden test hundred when he scored 115 in this test. His previous best was 69 in the first innings of this test.

Harbhajan Singh’s 69 and 115 in this test makes him the second batsman in the annals of test cricket to score a fifty and a hundred in a test while batting at number eight. Other batsman was – 117 and 57* of EL Dalton of South Africa vs England at The Oval in Aug 1935

Harbhajan Singh’s hundred in this test provide the 43^rd occasion of an Indian batsman scoring a hundred against New Zealand.

Harbhajan Singh’s hundred – 115 – in this test provide the 64th occasion of a batsman scoring a hundred while batting at number eight. His hundred provides the tenth occasions of an Indian batsman scoring a hundred while batting at number eight. Others are – 110 by RH Shodhan vs Pakistan at Kolkata in Dec 1952, 116 by N Kapil Dev vs England at Kanpur in Jan 1982, 102 by SMH Kirmani at Mumbai in Nov 1984, 110 by N Kapil Dev vs England at The Oval in Aug 1990, 115* by A Ratra vs West Indies at St John’s in May 2002, 109* by AB Agarkar vs England at Lord’s in Jul 2002, 110* by A Kumble vs England at The Oval in Aug 2007, 102 by IK Pathan vs Pakistan at Bangalore in Dec 2007 and 132* by MS Dhoni vs South Africa at Kolkata in Feb 2010.

LRPL Taylor captured his first test wicket when he had Harbhajan Singh caught by BJ Watling for 115. He returned with figures of 4.4.-2-4-2 in second innings of this test. His second wicket was that of S Sreesanth whom he had caught by Hopkins for 4.

Zaheer Khan collected the first ball duck in this game to provide the 119^th occasion of an Indian batsman collecting the first ball duck in an innings. His first ball duck provide the tenth occasion of Indian batsman suffering such an ignominy against New Zealand. This the second occasion of Zaheer Khan collecting the first ball duck against New Zealand, the first occasion being at Mohali in Oct 2003. Zaheer Khan became the second Indian batsman after N Kapil Dev to collect the first ball duck on two occasions.

TG McIntosh collected a pair in this to provide the 59^th occasion of a New Zealand batsman to suffer such an ignominy in tests. His pair in this test provides the seventh occasion of New Zealand opening batsman collecting a pair in a test match.

His pair in this test provides the seventh New Zealand batsman to collect a pair in a test match against India. Others are – AR MacGibbon at Chennai in Jan 1956, GB Troup at Wellington in Feb 1981, CM Kuggeleijn at Bangalore in Nov 1988, MC Snedden at Hyd-LBS in Dec 1988, PJ Wiseman at Wellington in Dec 1998 and PJ Wiseman at Kanpur in Oct 1999. TG McIntosh became the first New Zealand opening batsman to collect a pair against India.