Stats Highlights, Aus v Ind, 4th Test, Day 2

First Published : 25 Jan 2012, 19:38
Last Modified : 25 Jan 2012, 19:38

By: Rajneesh Gupta

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Adelaide, Jan 25: Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke proved just how productive the Adelaide wicket can be for batsmen by posting the highest partnership for any wicket in Australia-India Tests on Day 2 of the final Test. The Ponting-Clarke partnership is also the highest partnership for any wicket at Adelaide. Both batsmen scored double-hundreds, taking the overall count of double-tons at the ground to 19. Take a look at the numbers that matter from another glorious day for the hosts.

• The 386-run partnership between Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke is the highest partnership for any wicket in Australia-India Tests. This obliterates the 376-run stand between VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid for the fifth wicket at Kolkata in 2000-01.

• Incidentally, the previous highest partnership for Australia against India was an unbroken 334-run stand between Clarke and Mike Hussey for the fifth wicket at Sydney in the second Test of this series.

• The Ponting-Clarke partnership is also the third-highest partnership by any side against India, next only to the 576-run stand between Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama for Sri Lanka at Colombo RPS in 1997-98 and the 451-run stand between Mudassar Nazar and Javed Miandad for Pakistan at Hyderabad (Sind) in 1982-83.

• Interestingly, this is Australia’s first 300-plus partnership at Adelaide. The previous best was 275 between Colin McDonald and Lindsay Hassett (for the second wicket) against South Africa in 1952-53.

• The Ponting-Clarke partnership is the highest partnership for any wicket at Adelaide. The pair expunged the previous record stand of 341 between South Africa’s Eddie Barlow and Graeme Pollock for the third wicket in 1963-64.

• The Ponting-Clarke partnership is also the second best on Australian soil for any wicket after the 405-run partnership between Sid Barnes and Don Bradman (for the fifth wicket) against England at Sydney in 1946-47.

• Michael Clarke (210) became only the third batsman in Test history to score a 300 and a 200 in the same series. He emulated Australia’s Don Bradman and England’s Wally Hammond. Bradman, in fact, did so on two occasions. Clarke is the only captain to accomplish this feat.

• Ricky Ponting (221) made his sixth double hundred in Test cricket – his third against India after 257 (at Melbourne in 2003-04) and 242 (also at Adelaide in 2003-04).

• Ponting’s six double hundreds put him at level with Javed Miandad, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Marvan Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene. Only Don Bradman (12), Brian Lara (9), Kumar Sangakkara (8) and Wally Hammond (7) have scored more double hundreds in Test cricket.

• Ponting’s three double hundreds are the most by any batsman against India. Pakistan’s Zaheer Abbas and Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene scored two double hundreds against India.

• A total of 19 double hundreds have now been made at Adelaide Oval – the most at any ground. The Oval (in England) has seen 18, followed by 15 at Lord’s (in England) and Kingston (West Indies) each.

• This was the fourth instance of two Australian batsmen scoring double hundreds in the same innings.The other such occasions were against England at the Oval in 1934 and at Sydney in 1946-47; and against West Indies at Bridgetown in 1964-65.

• This was also the fourth time when two opposition batsmen scored double hundreds in the same innings against India. Pakistan at Hyderabad (Sind) in 1982-83, England at Madras in 1984-85 and Sri Lanka at Colombo RPS in 1997-98 were the other instances.

• India have now conceded 49 double hundreds – the second most by any Test side after England (62).

• Australia’s total of 604/7d is their third highest against India after 674 at Adelaide in 1947-48 and 659/4d at Sydney in the second Test of this series.

• R Ashwin conceded 194 runs in 53 overs (while picking up three wickets). These are the most expensive figures by any Indian bowler against Australia. Anil Kumble had conceded 176 runs in the first innings of Melbourne Test in 2003-04 (while taking six wickets).

• Ashwin’s figures are also the joint third most expensive by any bowler on Australian soil. Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan had conceded 224 runs at Perth in 1995-96. Brett Lee conceded 201 runs against India at Sydney in 2003-04. And Pakistan’s Mushtaq Ahmed conceded 194 runs at Brisbane in 1999-00.

• Rahul Dravid was dismissed bowled for the sixth time in the series (out of seven innings). With this he equalled the Indian record for most bowled dismissals in a series. Chandu Sarwate (in Australia in 1947-48), Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (v England in 1975-76) and Anshuman Gaekwad (v West Indies in 1983-84) are the other Indians to be dismissed bowled six times in a series. 

• Incidentally, the world record of most bowled dismissals in a series is eight, shared by England's Jack Mason (v Australia in 1897-98) and Australia's Bill O'Reilly (v England in 1932-33), in a five-match series.

• Dravid has now been dismissed bowled nine times in his last 11 innings.