Statistical highlights (3rd day) at Ahmedabad
by Mohandas Menon
-- Sachin Tendulkar's 103 was not only his 27th Test hundred in his 88th
match, but it was also his 50th first-class hundred since his first on debut
in a Ranji Trophy match for Bombay in 1988. Playing in his 176th match and
273 innings he became the fifth Indian to score fifty or more hundreds in
first-class cricket. The others being - Sunil Gavaskar (81hundreds in 348
matches from 1966 to 1987), Vijay Hazare (60 in 238 from 1934 to 1968),
Dilip Vengsarkar (55 in 260 from 1975 to 1992) and Mohammad Azharuddin (54
in 229 from 1981 to 2000).
-- Tendulkar's 27th Test hundred takes him to the joint third position in
Test history among batsmen with maximum hundreds. Now only Gavaskar (34
hundreds in 125 Tests) and Don Bradman (29 in 52) have more hundreds than
Tendulkar, who equals tally of 27 hundreds by Australians Allan Border (in
156 Tests) and Steve Waugh (in 142 Tests).
-- Among batsmen who have over 15 Test hundreds to their credit, Tendulkar
now has the third best frequency percentage for every hundred per innings.
Only Don Bradman (36.25% - 29 hundreds in 80 innings) and West Indian Clyde
Walcott (20.27% - 15 hundreds in 74 innings) have a better frequency
percentage than Tendulkar's 19.14% (27 hundreds in 141 innings). Following
Tendulkar are England's Herbert Sutcliffe (19.05% - 16 hundreds in 84
innings) and West Indian Everton Weekes (18.52% - 15 hundreds in 81
innings).
-- Meanwhile, Tendulkar's hundred was his fifth against England in his 11th
match and 16 innings. Now among Indians only Azharuddin has scored more
hundreds - six - against England in 16 matches. Vengsarkar has also scored
five hundreds in 27 matches.
-- Interestingly, no batsman in Test history has been so frequent in scoring
hundreds against England than Tendulkar. Among batsmen who have over four
Test hundreds against England, Tendulkar now has the best frequency
percentage for every hundred per innings. His frequency of 31.25% is now
even better than the great Don Bradman whose 19 hundreds in 63 innings gave
him a frequency of 30.16% per innings against England. Following these two
batsmen are West Indian George Headley (27.59% - 8 hundreds in 29 innings)
and Azharuddin (25.00% - 6 hundreds in 24 innings).
-- The 118 run partnership between Tendulkar and VVS Laxman was the best
partnership for the fifth wicket at this ground bettering the previous best
of 70 between the New Zealander pair of Nathan Astle and Stephen Fleming in
October 1999.
-- Ashley Giles' 5-67 was his best bowling figures of his Test career in 9
matches. His previous best figures were the 5-75 against Pakistan at
Faisalabad in November 2000.
-- Giles' has now taken 31 Test wickets, of which 29 have come in the Indian
continent - 17 in Pakistan, 7 in Sri Lanka and now five in India. While his
bowling average is 27.10 per wicket in the subcontinent in 7 matches, his
average in two matches in England is 107.00! He has just two wickets in two
matches at home.
-- The last occasion England took the first innings lead in India was at
Madras way back in January 1985. England then had a lead of a massive 380
runs, which helped them to win the Test by nine wickets.
Also read: Match Report
England's tour of India : Complete coverage