India vs Australia Day 3: Statistical highlights

Melbourne: Statistical highlights of the third day`s play of the first cricket Test between India and Australia on Wednesday.

Ricky Ponting (60 off 97 balls) has posted his 60th fifty in Tests - his 11th against India.

Ponting has become the fourth batsman to register 60 o more fifties in Tests, joining Sachin Tendulkar (64), Allan Border (63) and Rahul Dravid (63)

Ponting`s aggregate of 1338 in 15 Tests at MCG at an average of 58.17 is now the second highest at this venue, next only to Sir Donald Bradman - 1671 (ave.128.53) in 11 Tests, including nine hundreds and three fifties.

Ponting, for the first time, has registered four fifties in succession against India - 77 & 72 at Bangalore in October last year and 62 & 60 at MCG.

Umesh Yadav has taken the first three wickets to fall in each innings of a Test match for the first time.

Yadav`s brief Test record is quite impressive – 16 wickets at 21.62 runs apiece in three Tests.

Yadav (4/49) has registered his best bowling performance in Tests, eclipsing the 4 for 80 against West Indies at Kolkata in November this year.

Yadav (7/155) has taken seven wickets in a Test match for the second time - the first instance being 7 for 103 against West Indies at Kolkata last month.

In his last eight Test innings against India, Michael Clarke is yet to register a fifty - his scores being 8, 22, 14, 4, 14, 3, 31 & 1 between November 2008 and December 2011.

Clarke has averaged 38.29 in 15 Tests against India - 1034 runs in 28 innings, including three hundreds and five fifties. As Australian skipper, his average is almost the same (38.62) - 618 runs in nine Tests, including three centuries and one fifty.

India have successfully chased 230 or more in the fourth innings of a Test match in Australia just once – 233 for six at Adelaide in December 2003.

Ben Hilfenhaus (5/75) has recorded his first five-wicket haul in Tests, outstripping the 4 for 57 against India at Mohali in October last year.

Hilfenhaus has bagged five wickets in an innings ten times in first-class cricket.

Hilfenhaus became the fourth bowler after Bruce Reid (twice), Graham McKenzie and Brett Lee to bag five wickets or more in an innings for Australia against India at Melbourne Cricket Ground.

McKenzie is the only bowler to claim seven wickets in an innings for Australia against India at MCG - 7 for 66 in India`s first innings total of 173 in 1967-68.

Michael Hussey (79 not out off 134 balls) has recorded his fourth fifty against India - his 27th in Tests.

In the course of an excellent knock, Hussey has completed his 3,000 runs in Australia in Tests, managing 3053 at an average of 59.86 in 36 Tests. He has become the twelfth player to accomplish the feat. Ricky Ponting is the only batsman to manage 7,000 runs in Tests in Australia - 7124 runs (ave.56.99) in 86 Tests.

Hussey, with 670 runs at an average of 44.66 in 9 Tests, is the top run-getter for Australia in 2011.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has become the first captain-cum-wicketkeeper to effect five dismissals in a Test match in Australia.

VVS Laxman has once again failed to make any impression at MCG. In seven innings at this venue, he could manage just 113 runs at an average of 16.14, with 42 in December 2007 as his highest score.

Laxman`s scores in his last six innings on foreign soil are 4, 30, 2, 2, 24 & 2.

Brad Haddin, for the third time in a Test innings, has effected five dismissals - once each against India, South Africa and Pakistan. During the course of his excellent performance, he has completed his 150 dismissals (151) in 40 Tests -- 147 catches+4 stumpings.

Haddin and Rodney Marsh (SCG in January 1981) are the only two Australian wicketkeepers to effect five dismissals in a Test innings against India.

Peter Siddle (3/63) has recorded his best bowling performance against India, surpassing the 3 for 114 at Mohali in October 2008.

With his brilliant innings (62 & 60) in the Melbourne Test, Ponting has managed 2133 in 26 Tests at an average of 48.47 against India. Only two batsmen - West Indian, Clive Lloyd (2344 in 28 Tests at an average of 58.60) and Pakistani, Javed Miandad (2228 in 28 Tests at an average of 67.51) have amassed more runs than Ponting in Tests against India.

As number four batsman, Ponting, for the first time, has posted a fifty-plus in each innings of a Test match.

Nathan Lyon has recorded first duck in Tests. PTI