India vs Australia: Murali Vijay Betters Virender Sehwag Record

India opener Murali Vijay proved his class with yet another splendid performance in a four-match Test series on foreign soil, amassing 482 runs in Australia. Vijay's aggregate is a record by an Indian opener in a Test series in Australia, bettering Virender Sehwag's 464 at an average of 58.00 in the four Tests in 2003-04. (Match report | Day 5 Highlights | Scorecard)

The Tamil Nadu batsman, who averaged 60.25 in the recently concluded four Tests Down Under, also bettered his personal performance of 430 (ave.61.42) in four Tests when Australia came calling in 2012-13. (Also read: Kohli scores runs by the dozen as Aussies fail to tame his batting)

Chasing a record target of 349 in Sydney on Saturday, Vijay scored a classy 80 - his 10th fifty in Tests and fifth vs Australia - as India salvaged a narrow draw in the fourth and the final match. While the hosts won the series 2-0, Vijay became the first Indian opener to hit five innings of fifty-plus in a Test series Down Under - a hundred and four fifties. (Read: I Hate Losing, Want Opposition to Respect Team India, Says Kohli)

Vijay's aforesaid tally is the second-highest by an Indian opener in a Test series away from home. Gavaskar previously hit 774 in four Tests vs West Indies in 1970-71 and 542 in four Tests vs England in 1979.

Vijay was also one of the few Indian batsmen to do well in England and he had shown his class there with a composed 146 in Nottingham and a classy 95 on a green surface at Lord's. Vijay had scored 402 runs in five matches in England with one hundred and two fifties. (Kohli Wants Big Improvement in Bowling Department)

Other highlights of Day 5 of Sydney Test:

# Steven Smith has been adjudged the Man of the Match for the third time in Tests - his second vs India. (Pitches Did Not Break up as Much as Expected, Says Steve Smith)

# Smith has got his first Player of the Series award in Tests for top-scoring in the series -769 (ave.128.16)

# Rohit Sharma has managed 92 runs (53 + 39) - his best performance in a Test match overseas, eclipsing the 91 vs New Zealand at Auckland in February 2014 - 72 + 19.

# Nathan Lyon has captured 23 wickets at an average of 34.82 - his career-best performance in a Test series, surpassing the 19 (ave.29.36) in five Tests vs England in 2013-14. Lyon's aforesaid tally is the highest by any bowler in the just concluded series.

# In just eight Tests in Australia, Virat Kohli has managed 992 runs at an average of 62.00, including five hundreds and two fifties.

# Kohli's aforesaid aggregate is the fourth highest by an Indian batsman vs Australia in Australia, joining Sachin Tendulkar - 1809 (ave.53.20) in 20 Tests, VVS Laxman - 1236 (ave.44.14) in 15 Tests and Rahul Dravid - 1143 (ave.43.96) in 15 Tests.

# Kohli has managed 193 runs - the most by an Indian captain in a Test match at SCG.

# Kohli's aggregate of 692 (ave.86.50) is the highest by India's number four batsman in a Test series - the fifth highest in a Test series at this batting position - the top four being DCS Compton (753 vs SA in 1947), ED Weekes (716 vs India in 1952-53), JH Kallis (712 vs West Indies in 2003-04) and EH Hendren (693 vs WI in 1929-30).

# Kohli's tally of 692 is the third highest by an Indian batsman in a Test series, next only to Sunil Gavaskar - 774 (ave.154.80) in four Tests vs West Indies in the caribbean in 1970-71 and Sunil Gavaskar - 732 (ave.91.50) in six Tests vs West Indies in India in 1978-79.

# The series between Australia and India have produced 25 instances of bowlers conceding 100 runs or msore in a Test innings - a record for any Test series, eclipsing the 23 in the 1924-25 series between Australia and England in Australia.

# Suresh Raina has recorded a PAIR vs Australia - his second in Tests - the first being vs England at The Oval in 2011. He has failed to score in his last three Test innings, recording a hat-trick of ducks. In fact, in his last seven Test outings, he has recorded five ducks.

# Amongst the top Indian batsmen (one to seven), only Mohinder Amarnath (at Kanpur and Kolkata in 1983-84 - both vs West Indies) and Raina have got two pairs each.

# Mitchell Starc is the 72nd Australian bowler to complete 50 wickets or more in Tests.

(With inputs from Rajesh Kumar)