Stats: Zaheer tops 600 wkts in first-class cricket

Statistical highlights on Day 1 of the first Test between India and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, on Monday.

# The 113-run stand between Ricky Ponting and Ed Cowan is Australia's second highest for the third wicket against India at the MCG. The best is 169 between Don Bradman and Lindsay Hassett in 1947-48.

# Zaheer Khan, with Michael Clarke's wicket, completed 600 wickets in first-class cricket -- 601 at an average of 27.37 in 147 games.

- Scorecard | Photos

# Michael Hussey has gone two successive innings without scoring for the first time in Tests. At Hobart against New Zealand too, he was out for a duck.

# Hussey has registered 12 ducks in Tests -- his second against India.

# Hussey has recorded three ducks this year. In 2008, he registered four, the most by him in a calendar year.

# Peter Siddle (34 not out off 80 balls) registered his best knock against India.

# Siddle's aggregate of 179, at an average of 17.90 in seven Tests this year, is his highest in a calendar year in Tests.

# Brad Haddin and Siddle have shared a stand of 63 (unbroken) for the seventh wicket, Australia's second highest against India at MCG behind the 66 between Greg Matthews and Ray Bright in 1985-86.

# Shaun Marsh recorded his second duck – in successive innings. In the Cape Town Test (second innings) against South Africa, he posted a duck.

# Ed Cowan is the 427th player to appear for Australia in Tests.

# Cowan (68) became the second Australian player to score a half-century on Test debut against India at the MCG. Sam Loxton had played an excellent knock of 80 in 1947-48.

# Cowan's magnificent innings is the fourth highest by an Australian opener on Test debut in the last 30 years – the best innings being 162 by Kepler Wessels against England at Brisbane in November 1982.

# Ricky Ponting (62 off 94 balls) scored his 10th fifty against India, his 59th in Tests.

# Ponting is the first Australian player to register 10 fifties against India. Three other batsmen have recorded 10 fifties or more in India-Australia Tests -- Sachin Tendulkar (13), Rahul Dravid (12) and VVS Laxman (11).

# Ponting and Dravid now jointly share the second place with 98 fifty-plus innings in Tests. Sachin Tendulkar holds the record, having registered 114 innings of fifty or more -- 51 centuries plus 63 fifties.

# Ponting has aggregated 445 runs at an average of 89.00, including one double century and two half-centuries at the MCG -- the highest by an Australian batsman against India at the venue.

# Ponting took his runs' tally to 1278 (ave.58.09) in 15 Tests at Melbourne Cricket Ground -- the third highest aggregate at the MCG, next only to Don Bradmman -- 1671 (ave.128.53) in 11 Tests and Steve Waugh -- 1284 (ave. 53.50) in 17 Tests.