While all eyes were on Shikhar Dhawan on Days 3 and 4 of the Mohali Test, his opening partner also managed to etch his name in the record books despite playing second fiddle in the 289-run opening stand. The patient and steady Murali Vijay brought up his second consecutive 150-plus score in Tests. He thus became the 5th Indian to achieve this feat. He also became only the third batsman overall to cross the 150-run landmark in two back-to-back innings against Australia.
Here are these and many other stats highlights from Day 4 of the third Test between India and Australia:
Murali Vijay (153) became only the fifth Indian batsman to score 150 in two consecutive innings (he made 167 at Hyderabad). Others to do so are – Vijay Hazare (164* & 155 v England in 1951-52), Dilip Vengsarkar (153 & 166 v Sri Lanka in 1986-87), Vinod Kambli (224 & 227 vs England/Zimbabwe in 1992-93) and Virender Sehwag (151 & 319 vs Australia/South Africa in 2007-08).
Murali Vijay also became the third batsman to score 150 in two consecutive innings against Australia, after England’s Wally Hammond (251 & 200 in 1928-29) and David Gower (215 & 157 in 1985).
Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan provided only the second instance of both Indian openers making 150-plus scores in same innings. The other such instance had come against New Zealand at Chennai in 1955-56 when Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy scored 231 and 173 respectively.
Murali Vijay and Dhawan also provided only the third instance of both openers scoring 150-plus in same innings against Australia. Jack Hobbs (178) and Wilfred Rhodes (179) for England at Melbourne in 2011-12, and Jack Hobbs (154) and Herbert Sutcliffe (176) also at Melbourne in 1924-25 provided the other such instances.
This hundred was Murali Vijay’s third in Test cricket – all three have come against Australia!
Murali Vijay’s Test record makes for interesting reading: vs Australia - 586 runs in 5 Tests at an average of 73.25. vs all others - 359 runs in 10 Tests at an average of 22.44
Sachin Tendulkar has now not scored a century in his last 35 innings - his worst run ever in this regard.
Tendulkar has also played 13 innings without scoring a hundred against Australia, since October 2010 – also his worst run against Australia.
Peter Siddle (5/71) claimed his seventh five-for in his 40th Test – his second against India. He had also taken 5/49 against India at Adelaide in 2011-12. Incidentally, Siddle had made his Test debut at this ground in 2008-09.
India provided the third instance in Test cricket of a side getting dismissed for 499. In 1891-92 England were dismissed against Australia at Adelaide for this total, while Australia made this total against England at Melbourne in 1920-21. Sri Lanka declared at 499/8 against England at Galle in 2007-08.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar rattled the Australian innings by taking first three wickets. Interestingly, he had performed a similar feat in the first innings of the Hyderabad Test!
