New Zealand vs India: Ishant Sharma records his second-best match figures in Tests

India medium pacer Ishant Sharma recorded match figures of 9/162, his second best show in a Test as India bowled out the Kiwis for 105 in the second innings of the Auckland Test on Saturday. Here are some of the other statistical highlights from the third day's play:

# New Zealand (105) have recorded their fourth lowest total vs India in Tests - their lowest being 94 at Hamilton in December 2002 while their lowest at Auckland is 101 in March 1968. (Day 3 report)

# For the fifth time, India have captured their opponent's five wickets for 25 runs or less than 25 in a Test innings - once each vs Australia, Zimbabwe, West Indies, Pakistan and New Zealand.

# 17 wickets fell on the third day - the second highest in an Auckland Test - the highest being 18 in a Test match involving Australia and New Zealand in March 1974.

# In New Zealand's two innings, there is a difference of 398 runs - their highest against India in a Test match.  

# Ishant Sharma (9 for 162) has produced his second best bowling performance in a Test match - his best being 10 for 108 vs West Indies at Bridgetown in 2011.

# Ishant's above performance is the best by an Indian speedster in a Test match vs New Zealand, eclipsing Javagal Srinath's 8 for 108 in the 1999-2000 Mohali Test.

# Zaheer Khan's figures of seven for 122 at Wellington in April 2009 were the previous best by an Indian pacer in a Test match in New Zealand.

# Overall, Ishant's excellent figures are the second best by an Indian bowler in a Test match in New Zealand, next only to Erapalli Prasanna's 11 for 140 in the 1975-76 Auckland Test.

# India conceded a first innings lead of 301 while batting second - their second highest to New Zealand.  In the 2008-09 drawn Napier Test, they conceded a first innings lead of 314 - the scores being New Zealand (619/9 wickets declared) & India (305 & 476/4).

# India (202) have recorded their lowest completed innings total at Eden Park, Auckland, eclipsing the 238 in March 1981.

# Neil Wagner (4/64) has produced his third best bowling performance in Tests - his best being five for 64 vs Bangladesh at Dhaka in October 2013. (NZ still have upper hand in Auckland Test: Wagner)

# Ishant Sharma has recorded his fourth duck in his last seven innings in Tests.  Overall, he has registered 19 ducks in Tests - two vs New Zealand.  Only Zaheer Khan (29), Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (23) and Bishan Singh Bedi (20) have recorded more ducks for India in Tests.

# Ravindra Jadeja (30 not out) has registered his highest Test score away from home - his second highest overall, next only to the 43 vs Australia at Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi in March 2013.

# Trent Boult (3/38) has produced his best bowling performance vs India in Tests, bettering the 3 for 93 at Hyderabad in 2012.

# Tim Southee (3/38) has recorded his best bowling figures at Auckland, eclipsing the 3 for 44 vs England in March 2013.

# Rohit Sharma's 72 off 120 balls is his highest score in Tests away from home.

# Mohammed Shami (3/37) has produced his best bowling figures away from home in Tests - his best ever being five for 47 vs West Indies at Kolkata in November 2013. (Zaheer praises 'match-winner' Shami)

# Hamish Rutherford has registered his second duck in Tests - one each vs England and India.

# Ross Taylor, despite scoring 3 & 41 in the Auckland Test, enjoys an outstanding record in Tests in New Zealand - his aggregate being 2365 at an average of 59.12 in 27 Tests.

# Shikhar Dhawan's unbeaten 49 is his second highest Test score, next only to the 187 vs Australia at Mohali in March 2013.

# The highest successful chase in the fourth innings of a Test match in New Zealand is West Indies' 348 for five at Auckland in February 1969.

# The only two totals of 400 or more in Tests in New Zealand have been recorded by New Zealand - 451 at Christchurch in March 2002 and 431 at Napier in March 2008.  They lost both the Tests.

# The Indian fast bowlers have claimed 17 wickets in the Test - the seventh instance when they have taken atleast 17 wickets in a Test match.  Three times in a Test match, the Indian pacers have claimed 18 wickets in a Test match.

(stats courtesy Rajesh Kumar)