New Delhi: Statistical highlights of the second day of the third cricket Test between India and Australia on Thursday.
VVS Laxman, with his unbeaten 200, is the first batsman to record two innings of 200-plus for India against Australia -- both in India. In the 2000-01 Kolkata Test, he had made 281 -- his career best.
Laxman is now the ninth Indian player to record two double centuries or more in Test Cricket, joining, Virender Sehwag (5), Rahul Dravid (5), Sunil Gavaskar(4), Sachin Tendulkar (4), Vinoo Mankad (2), Dilip Sardesai (2), Vinod Kambli (2) and Wasim Jaffer (2).
Laxman's 13th century in Tests is his sixth against Australia. He has hit six hundreds on Indian soil and seven on foreign soil.
Laxman becomes the second Indian player after Sachin Tendulkar (2580 in 28 Tests at an average of 56.08) to make 2,000 runs or more against Australia.
Laxman and Kumble put on 98 runs for the seventh wicket -- an Indian record against Australia at Ferozeshah Kotla, eclipsing the 52 between Yashpal Sharma and Syed Kirmani in 1979-80.
India (613/7 declared) recorded their best total at Ferozeshah Kotla, surpassing their 566 for 8 wickets declared against West Indies in January 1979.
Two Indian players -- Gautam Gambhir and Laxman -- for the first time have posted double hundreds in the same Test innings. This is the 14th instance in the history of Test cricket -- first ever against Australia.
Anil Kumble (45) registered his highest ever score at Ferozeshah Kotla, Delhi.
Gambhir is the sixth opener to record a double hundred against Australia.
Gambhir is now the fifth Indian player to register a double hundred against Australia. He joined four others --Ravi Shastri (206) in Sydney in 1991-92, VVS Laxman (281) in Kolkata in 2000-01, Sachin Tendulkar (241 not out) in Sydney in 2003-04, Rahul Dravid (233) at Adelaide in 2003-04.
Gambhir's double century is the first by a left-handed opening batsman against Australia, eclipsing Bob Barber's 185 for England in the 1965-66 Sydney Test.
Mitchell Johnson is now the leading Australian bowler with 11 wickets at 35.63 runs apiece. For India, Ishant Sharma has also captured 11 wickets at 21.45 runs apiece.
Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman registered 278 runs for the fourth wicket, which is a record for any wicket at Ferozeshah Kotla, eclipsing the 267 (fourth wkt.) between Gerry Gomez and Clyde Walcott for West Indies in 1948-49.
India's previous best for any wicket at Ferozeshah Kotla was 213 for the third wicket between Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in the 2000-01 Test against Zimbabwe.
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With 21 wickets in his first 12 matches at an economy rate of well under six, Sunil Narine has been Kolkata's main-man with the ball.
