Cheteshwar Pujara (153) made his fourth score of 150 or more in Test cricket. Interestingly, out of 26 instances when Pujara has scored a first-class 100, he has managed to reach the 150 mark 15 times!
Pujara’s 100 to 150 conversion ratio of 57.69 percent is the second best in first-class cricket for any batsman scoring 25 or more tons. Only David Sales (17 scores of 150 or more out of 29 hundreds) has a better conversion ratio (58.62 percent).
Virat Kohli (96) just missed out on becoming only the fourth Indian to score a century in both innings of a Test. Vijay Hazare, Sunil Gavaskar (thrice) and Rahul Dravid (twice) have accomplished this feat for India in the past.
Kohli is the fifth Indian to score a ton and a 90-odd in the same Test. The details:Batsman | Scores | Opponents | Venue | Season |
|---|
Chandu Borde | 109 & 96 | West Indies | Delhi | 1958-59 |
Mohinder Amarnath | 90 & 100 | Australia | Perth | 1977-78 |
Sourav Ganguly | 239 & 91 | Pakistan | Bangalore | 2007-08 |
Gautam Gambhir | 179 & 97 | England | Mohali | 2008-09 |
Virat Kohli | 119 & 96 | South Africa | Johannesburg | 2013-14 |
Kohli’s match aggregate of 215 runs is the second-highest by an Indian batsman in South Africa, after Rahul Dravid’s 229 (148 and 81) also at Johannesburg in 1996-97.
The 222-run partnership between Pujara and Kohli equaled the record of India’s highest partnership for any wicket in South Africa. Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin had also added 222 (for the sixth wicket) at Cape Town in 1996-97.
The last time India scored 400 in their second innings of an overseas Test was against Australia at Sydney in January 2012.
Dale Steyn went wicketless for the 12th time in his Test career. And, the 30 overs bowled and 104 runs conceded by him are the most for him in an innings where he has not bagged any scalps.
Alviro Petersen reached 40 for the first time in the second innings of a Test (in 21 innings).
After AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni rolled his arm over for a couple of overs, thus providing the first instance in Test history of wicketkeepers from both sides bowling in the same Test.
Incidentally, Dhoni holds the record of most instances of bowling by a wicketkeeper in Test cricket – 6 times. England’s Bill Storer is second on this list with 5 such instances, followed by Syed Kirmani (3).
The highest successful chase in Test cricket is 418 for seven by West Indies against Australia at St.John’s in 2003. South Africa’s highest successful Test chase is 414 for four against Australia at Perth in 2008-09. And, the highest successful chase against India is 342 for eight by Australia at Perth in 1977-78.
South Africa ended the fourth day on 138 for two, needing 320 more runs to win. Only three sides have made 320 or more runs to win on the last day of a Test. The last such instance was at Lord’s in 1984 when West Indies added 344 runs on the last day to win the Test.
