India in Australia: Michael Clarke Betters Ricky Ponting's Record for Most Test Centuries at Adelaide

Michael Clarke on Wednesday battled severe back pain to notch up his 28th Test century as Australia mounted 517 for seven at stumps on day two of the first Test at the Adelaide Oval. The Aussie skipper slammed his 17th ton at home.

Clarke slammed his seventh century at Adelaide as he went past Ricky Ponting's tally of six hundreds. He is now the second Australian after Ponting (eight) to record seven tons vs India. The eight batsmen with seven hundreds or more vs India in Tests are - Garry Sobers (8), Vivian Richards (8), Ponting (8), Everton Weekes (7), Clive Lloyd (7), Jacques Kallis (7), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (7) and Clarke (7). (Day 2 Report | Highlights | Scorecard | Pics)

The 33-year-old is now the only batsman to post an average of 100 or more at two venues besides aggregating 1,000-plus runs - 1407 (ave.100.50) in ten matches at Adelaide and 1030 (ave.103.00) in ten games at Gabba, Brisbane.

Clarke has recorded 14 hundreds as Test captain. Only Graeme Smith (25), Ponting (19), Allan Border (15) and Steve Waugh (15) have more centuries as captains. ('Clarke Has Shown Unbelievable Courage')

Clarke (2042) has joined an elite list of batsmen to have scored over 2000 runs against India. Former Australia skipper Ponting leads the tally with 2555 runs followed by West Indies great Clive Lloyd (2344), Pakistan's Javed Miandad (2228) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (2171) of West Indies. (Twitter Abuzz After Clarke Scores Battling Ton)

The following are more statistical highlights from the second day's play

# Australia (517/7) have posted their seventh total of 500 or more vs India at Adelaide - the highest being 674 in January 1948.

# Steven Smith (162 not out) has posted his fifth Test hundred - his first vs India. His previous highest vs India was 92 at Mohali in March 2013.

# Smith has recorded a career-best innings in Tests, obliterating the 138 not out vs England at The Oval in August 2013.

# Smith has recorded three hundreds vs England and one each vs South Africa and India.

# Smith is averaging 70-plus in Tests in 2014 - his aggregate being 727 (ave.72.70) in twelve innings, including three hundreds and three fifties.

# Smith's unbeaten 162 is the second highest by Australia's number five batsman vs India at Adelaide, next only to Michael Clarke's 210 in January 2012.

# Clarke and Smith put on 163 - Australia's highest seventh-wicket partnership vs India at Adelaide, eclipsing the 108 between Steve Waugh and Shane Warne in December 1999.

# The above stand is Australia's second highest seventh-wicket partnership vs India in Tests, next only to the 173 between Andrew Symonds and Brad Hogg at SCG in January 2008.

# The 163-run partnership is Australia's second highest seventh-wicket stand at Adelaide, next only to the 168 between Rod Marsh and Kerry O'Keeffe vs New Zealand in January 1974.

# Amongst the batsmen with 25 Test hundreds or more, Sir Donald Bradman, Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke are the only ones to have recorded more hundreds than fifties.

# For the sixth time, three batsmen have posted centuries in the same Test innings for Australia vs India - the previous two instances at Adelaide being in 1947-48 and 2007-08.

# Varun Aaron has registered an economy rate of 5.91 - the highest by any Indian bowler, who has delivered at least 20 overs (120 balls), eclipsing the 5.68 recorded by Kapil Dev, during his figures of 38.4-3-220-7 vs Pakistan at Faisalabad in January 1983.

# Mohammad Shami (24-2-120-2) has also produced an economy rate of 5.00. For the first time, two Indian opening bowlers have conceded 5.00 runs per over in the same Test innings (minimum 20 overs by both the bowlers).

(With inputs from Rajesh Kumar)