India vs South Africa: Two to tango, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara make merry at Durban

India rode on a second wicket unbroken partnership of 140 on day one of the second Test in Durban on Thursday. Vijay was nine runs short of his fourth Test century, while Pujara (58) looked good for back-to-back Test hundreds in South Africa when bad light stopped play. Vijay and Pujara were involved in several statistical highlights as follows:

 

# Cheteshwar Pujara took his run-aggregate in Tests this year to 785 at an average of 87.22, including three centuries and three fifties - the highest by an Indian player in 2013. (Highlights)

# With 236 runs at an average of 118.00 in three innings, Pujara is the top run-scorer in the present series. (Day 1 report)

# Pujara has established an Indian record, taking only 27 innings to reach 1500 runs in Tests - his aggregate being 1546 at an average of 70.27. Vijay Hazare had managed 1414 runs at an average of 61.48 in first 27 innings.

# Shikhar Dhawan (29 off 49 balls) has registered his highest Test score vs South Africa. The said innings is his highest away from home.

# Since posting 137 by Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag at Centurion in December 2010, not even a single opening stand of 50 has been recorded in the last seven innings vs South Africa in South Africa.

# In the last eighteen innings away from home, not even a single opening stand of 50 has been recorded for India in Tests - the last stand of fifty or more being 63 by Gautam Gambhir and Abhinav Mukund vs England at Lord's in 2011.

# Murali Vijay (91 not out) has recorded his highest score vs South Africa in Tests, obliterating the 39 at Johannesburg in December 2013.

# Vijay's aforesaid innings is his highest away from home, outstripping the 58 vs Sri Lanka at Colombo (SSC) in July 2008.

# Vijay's second fifty away from home is his fourth in Tests.

# Vijay's unbeaten 91 is the third highest by an Indian opener vs South Africa in South Africa in Tests - the top two innings being 116 by Wasim Jaffer at Cape Town in January 2007 and 93 by Gautam Gambhir at Cape Town in January 2011.

# Vijay and Pujara were involved in a second-wicket stand of 140 (unbroken), India's highest partnership for any wicket vs South Africa at Kingsmead, Durban. The said partnership is the second century stand for the second wicket vs South Africa in South Africa, next only to the 171 between Deep Dasgupta and Rahul Dravid at Port Elizabeth in November 2001.

(Stats: Rajesh Kumar)