Hamilton: Statistical highlights after the second day's play of the first Test between India and New Zealand on Thursday.
Gautam Gambhir's 72 is his tenth fifty in Test Cricket - his first against New Zealand.
Gambhir has performed exceptionally well overseas - 700 runs in twelve innings (eight Tests) at an average of 63.63, including one century and five fifties. His strike rate of 61.83 is excellent.
In seven innings (four Tests) played under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy, Gambhir has averaged 86.28 - 604, including two hundreds and four fifties.
Gambhir, for the first time in his Test career, has recorded four successive fifty-plus - 66 at Chennai; 179 & 97 at Mohali - all three against England and 72 against New Zealand at Hamilton.
Rahul Dravid, with 66 at Hamilton, has extended his record for the highest run-aggregate by a visiting batsman at this venue - 407 runs at an average of 101.75 in three Tests, including two hundreds and one fifty.
Dravid's 66 off 138 balls is his third fifty against New Zealand - his 54th overall.
Dravid's record against New Zealand is fantastic - 1070 in ten Tests at an average of 59.44, including four hundreds and three fifties.
Gambhir and Dravid were associated in a 105-run stand - India's best for the second wicket at Hamilton, eclipsing the 38 between Navjot Singh Sidhu and Vinod Kambli in 1993-94.
The aforesaid stand is India's second best for the second wicket in New Zealand, next only to the 204 between Sunil Gavaskar and Mohinder Amarnath at Auckland in 1975-76.
Sachin Tendulkar (70 not out) has registered his best score in eight innings away from home.
Tendulkar, after scoring 153 against Australia at Adelaide in January 2008, has recorded his best overseas score - his first fifty in eight innings.
Tendulkar's unbeaten 70 is his 52nd Test fifty - sixth against New Zealand.
Tendulkar and VVS Laxman put on 61 runs - India's best against New Zealand at Hamilton for the fourth wicket, eclipsing the 49 between Mohammad Azharuddin and Nayan Mongia in March 1994.
Laxman (30) posted his highest score in New Zealand. In his previous four innings in New Zealand in December 2002, he had recorded a Pair (0 & 0) at Wellington and 23 & 4 at Hamilton.
Dravid has extended his record for most century stands (74) in Tests. Australia's Ricky Ponting has the next best tally with 72 century stands, followed by Sachin Tendulkar (70) and Steve Waugh (64) and Allan Border (63).
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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.
