Virat Kohli Joins India's Exclusive Club Led by Vijay Hazare
Virat Kohli became the fourth Indian to smash a hundred in his first Test as captain. Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar are the other three to have achieved this feat.
- NDTVSports
- Updated: December 11, 2014 06:19 PM IST
India's stand-in skipper Virat Kohli overcame a first-ball bouncer he faced to bring up his seventh Test hundred as India ended day three at 369 for five in reply to Australia's 517 for seven declared at the Adelaide Oval. India still trail by 148 runs. (Day 3 Report | Highlights | Scorecard)
Kohli, who hit his third ton vs the Aussies, became the fourth Indian batsman to record a hundred on debut as captain - the first three being Vijay Hazare (164 not vs England at Delhi in 1951-52), Sunil Gavaskar (116 vs New Zealand at Auckland in 1975-76) and Dilip Vengsarkar (102 in the second innings vs West Indies at Delhi in 1987-88). (As It Happened | Pics)
The Delhi lad's 115 is his first fifty-plus innings in eleven outings away from home. He last scored a century (105 not out vs New Zealand at Wellington) in February. Kohli has recorded five centuries in the second match innings.
For Kohli, Adelaide is his happy hunting ground. He slammed his second ton at this venue and also enjoys an average of 84.33 in two Tests here - 253 runs in three innings, including two hundreds. Adelaide is the only ground where the 26-year-old has scored two hundreds. (India Batsmen Have Proven Their Mettle: Pujara)
The following are more statistical highlights from the third day's play
# Australia have provided the 300th instance in Tests when a team has declared after scoring 500 or more. (Shane Warne Pleased with Nathan Lyon's Performance)
# Murali Vijay's seventh fifty in Tests is his second vs Australia. Vijay enjoys superb record vs Australia - his tally being 733 (ave.61.08), including three centuries and two fifties, in seven Tests.
# In his last six innings vs Australia, Vijay has managed two centuries and two fifties - the sequence being 167 at Hyderabad, 153 & 26 at Mohali, 57 & 11 at Delhi and 53 at Adelaide.
# In the last twelve innings in Australia, an Indian opening pair is without a fifty-run partnership. The 30-run partnership between Vijay and Dhawan is India's highest opening stand in the last ten innings in Australia in Tests.
# Not even a single fifty-run stand has been recorded for the first wicket for India in 34 overseas innings in succession.
# As against his overseas average of 29.20, Shikhar Dhawan is averages 81.00 in Tests at home.
# In his last eight Test innings away from home, Dhawan has scored 2, 12, 29, 7, 31, 6, 37 & 25.
# Cheteshwar Pujara's 73 is his fourth fifty vs Australia - his sixth in Tests. Pujara has recorded fifty-plus innings in three successive innings vs Australia for the first time - 52 & 82 not at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi and 73 at Adelaide.
# Pujara enjoys an outstanding record vs Australia in Tests - his tally being 568 in ten innings at an average of 71.00, including a double hundred - 204 at Hyderabad in March 2013.
# Pujara's aforesaid innings is his highest in Tests this year - his aggregate being 355 in 15 innings, including two fifties, at an average of 23.66.
# Pujara's 73 is his second highest Test score away from home, next only to the 153 vs South Africa at Johannesburg in December 2013.
# Ajinkya Rahane (62) has posted his first fifty vs Australia - his fifth in Tests. Rahane is the top run-scorer for India in Tests this year - his tally being 523 (ave.40.23) in eight Tests.
# Rahane and Kohli put on 101 - India's third century stand for the fourth wicket at Adelaide - the first two being 136 between Dilip Vengsarkar and Gundappa Viswanath in January 1978 and 121 between Chandu Borde and Rusi Surti in December 1967.
# For the first time, 50-run partnerships have been recorded for the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th wickets in the same Test innings for India in Australia. Overall, ten times, this has happened for India in Tests.
(With inputs from Rajesh Kumar)