Statistical Highlights, India v England, 2nd Test

March 25, 2006 22:21 IST

Sachin Tendulkar was playing his 132nd Test, which makes him the most-capped Indian player. He surpassed Kapil Dev's tally of 131 Tests.
Rahul Dravid was playing his 100th Test. He became sixth Indian and 37th player overall to complete century of Test match appearances. However his tally does include one match for ICC World XI against Australia, so technically he is still one short of playing his 100th Test for India.
Karachi born Ovais Shah became 632nd debutant for England. Incidentally he is only the second Shah to play Test cricket after Ali Shah,who appeared in three Tests for Zimbabwe.
When Dravid put England in to bat, he provided only the 11thh instance of an Indian captain inviting opponent to bat first after winning the toss at home soil. Of these 11 instances, India have won only one, drawn six and lost four. Interestingly the lone victory had also come against England - at Mohali in 2001-02.
Dravid also provided only the fourth instance in 21 matches of a side electing to field first after winning the toss at Wankhede. Only Australia - in 2000-01- managed to win.
On the second day, Andrew Flintoff completed his 3,000 runs in Test cricket. Having already taken 170 wickets, Flintoff also completed the all-round double of 3,000 runs and 150 wickets. He became the second Englishman after Ian Botham and only the tenth player in Test history to accomplish this feat.
Flintoff, by reaching this milestone in his 59th Test, became the third fastest after Ian Botham (55) and New Zealander Chris Cairns (58) - and well ahead of Gary Sobers (63).
Sachin Tendulkar, despite top-scoring in the second innings, has now not made a single fifty in his last 11 innings (since scoring his record 35th hundred -109 v Sri Lanka at Delhi in December 2005). This is his longest streak without a fifty. The details:

Inns	Runs	Ave	Period
11	204	20.40	Dec 2005-Mar 2006
6	26	4.33	Apr 2004-Nov 2004
6	79	13.17	Oct 1996-Dec 1996
6	83	13.83	Oct 2003-Dec 2003
6	110	18.33	Aug 1990-Dec 1991

India's second innings total of 100

is their second lowest against England and seventh lowest at home.List of India's lowest totals at home soil:

Total	Opponent	Venue	Season
75	West Indies	Delhi	1987-88
83	New Zealand	Mohali	1999-00
83	England	Madras	1976-77
88	New Zealand	Bombay (Brabourne)	1964-65
89	New Zealand	Hyderabad	1969-70
90	West Indies	Calcutta	1983-84
100	England	Bombay (Wankhede)	2005-06

Ever since Sachin Tendulkar made his Test debut, India have been made to chase a fourth innings target of 200-plus on 36 occasions. India have succeeded in achieving the target on just two occasions (v Sri Lanka at Kandy in 2001 and v Australia at Adelaide in 2003-04). Of the remaining 34 occasions, the team has lost on as many as 19 occasions and drawn 15.
Tendulkar ended the series with an aggregate of 83 runs in five innings at an average of 20.75. Tendulkar's average is his lowest in a series comprising of at least three Tests.
Andrew Flintoff ended the series with 264 runs and 11 wickets on his name. This is the second best all-round performance by any player in a three match series in India. West Indian Gary Sobers had made 342 runs and captured 14 wickets in 1966-67 series.
England registered their first win at Indian soil in over 21 years. They had last beaten India in India at Madras in 1984-85.
The victory margin of 212 runs is England's biggest over India in India, putting into shade the 202-run win at Madras in 1933-34. Out of England's 10 previous wins in India seven have been by wickets margin. At Delhi in 1976-77 England won by an innings and 25 runs and at Madras in 1973-74 England registered a win by exactly 200 runs.

Rajneesh Gupta