Statistical highlights: Ind Vs Aus, Day 3

Sydney: Statistical highlights of the third day`s play in the second cricket Test between India and Australia on Thursday.

• Michael Clarke has become the seventh captain to hit a triple century in Tests. He has joined Bobby Simpson, Younis Khan, Graham Gooch, Brian Lara, Mahela Jayawardene and Mark Taylor. • Clarke`s career-best (329 not out) is the 25th triple century in Tests. The last batsman to accomplish the feat was Chris Gayle (333 against Sri Lanka at Galle in November 2010). • Four batsmen have achieved the distinction twice in Tests - Don Bradman, Brian Lara, Virender Sehwag and Chris Gayle. • Clarke`s marvellous unbeaten knock is the fifth highest by a captain in Tests behind the 400 not out by Brian Lara for West Indies against England at St.John`s in 2003-04, 374 by Mahela Jayawardene for Sri Lanka against South Africa at Colombo, SSC in 2006, 334 not out by Mark Taylor for Australia against Pakistan at Peshawar in 1998-99 and 333 by Graham Gooch for England against India at Lord`s in 1990. • Australia (659 for four wickets declared) have emulated their highest total at SCG. In the 1946-47 Test, they had recorded 659 for eight wickets declared against England. • Overall, eight totals of 600 or more have been registered at SCG. Australia have now recorded three such totals (one each against India, England and West Indies) while India and England have posted two each and one by the West Indies. • Australia`s aforesaid total is their second highest against India, next only to the 674 at Adelaide in 1947-48. The said total is the seventh highest in an overseas Test against India - the all-time highest is 952 for six wickets declared by Sri Lanka at Colombo RPS in August 1997. • Michael Clarke holds a record for registering the highest individual innings at SCG, surpassing the 287 by England`s Tip Foster against Australia in December 1903. • Clarke became the third Australian skipper to register a triple hundred in Tests, joining Mark Taylor (334 not out against Pakistan at Peshawar in 1998-99) and Bobby Simpson (311 against England at Manchester in July 1964). • Clarke`s excellent innings is the highest in India-Australia Tests, eclipsing the 281 by VVS Laxman at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in March 2001. Ricky Ponting`s 257 at MCG in December 2003 was the previous highest by an Australian player against India. • For the fifth time, three Australian batsmen have recorded centuries in the same innings against India – twice at Adelaide in 1947-48 and 2007-08 and once each at Melbourne, Sydney and Chennai. • Three hundreds in an innings have been registered by Australia for the second time in a Test match at SCG – the first occasion being against South Africa at Sydney in 2001-02. • Clarke became the sixth Australian player to post a triple hundred, joining Don Bradman (twice), Matthew Hayden, Mark Taylor, Bobby Simpson, Bob Cowper. He became the third player to register triple hundred against India - the first two are 333 by Graham Gooch for England at Lord`s in 1990 and 340 by Sanath Jayasuriya for Sri Lanka at Colombo RPS in 1997. • Clarke, in the course of his first triple hundred in first-class cricket, had set a record for the highest individual innings by an Australian captain in Tests in Australia. Don Bradman had recorded 270 against England at MCG in January 1937. • Michael Hussey (150 not out) has posted his highest innings against India - his 16th century - his third and the highest against India. The said knock is his third highest in Tests - the two highest innings are 195 against England at Brisbane in 2010-11 and 182 against Bangladesh at Chittagong in 2006. • Hussey has recorded three hundreds at Sydney – two against India (150 not out in January 2012 and 145 not out in January 2008) and 134 not out against Pakistan in January 2010. • Hussey has recorded eleven centuries in Tests in Australia. • Hussey`s record in Tests in Australia is excellent, aggregating 3213 (ave.61.78) in 37 Tests. • The 334-run unbroken partnership between Hussey and Clarke is the highest for any wicket for Australia against India, bettering the 288 between Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting for the fourth wicket in the present Test. • The aforesaid partnership is the highest by any pair for the fifth wicket against India in Tests, surpassing the 293 between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Carl Hooper for the West Indies at Georgetown in 2001-02. • Two stands of 250-plus in the same innings have beenregistered for the first time - 288 for the fourth and 334 (unbroken) for the fifth. • Australia have recorded 200-plus stands for the successive wickets in the same innings for the first time. • Gambhir has posted his 19th Test fifty - his second against Australia. • Gambhir`s 68 not out is his first fifty in Tests in Australia. • Umesh Yadav has recorded his worst bowling figures in a Test match -- 24-2-123-0. • In his last eight Test innings, Dravid has been clean bowled six times, including three times in the present series. • India took a first innings lead of 468 - the fourth highest by India, next only to the 490 to West Indies in Kolkata in 1958-59, 486 to England at Birmingham in 2011 and 484 to South Africa at Centurion Park in 2010-11. • Hilfenhaus has bagged 12 wickets at an average of 16.83 - the most by a bowler in the present rubber. • Ravichandran Ashwin (44-0-157-0) conceded 157 runs without taking a single wicket off 44 overs - his worst ever figures. He became the first bowler to concede 150 runs in an innings without capturing a wicket in India-Australia Tests. PTI