Statistical Highlights
From Mohandas Menon, Bloemfontein
Statistical highlights for the first Test (4th and final day)
VVS Laxman since November 2000 has appeared in seven Test matches and 13
innings while scoring 683 runs (avg. 56.92) with 1 hundred and three
fifties. He now has 13 double-digit scores in a row. However it is a
worrying factor that he has not managed to convert the rest of his nine
innings to a bigger score. He has six scores between 38 and 20 during this
period, with a highest of 38.
Playing in his 53rd match, Jacques Kallis joined 36 other Test
all-rounders who have the distinction of doing the "all-rounders double" of
1000 runs and 100 wickets. He also becomes the third South African, after
Trevor Goddard and Shaun Pollock to do so. He acheived this feat when he
claimed his 100th wicket that of Tendulkar. With over 3000 runs under his
belt, Kallis also joins a select band of seven cricketers, Gary Sobers, Tony
Greig, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Ravi Shastri and Richard Hadlee,
who have scored 3000 runs and taken 100 wickets during their career.
Kallis also becomes the fourth all-rounder, after Kapil Dev, Imran Khan
and Ravi Shastri to achieve the 3000-runs and 100-wickets double in both the
versions of the game - ie in Tests and LOIs. Kallis now has 3429 runs
(avg.46.97) and 100 wickets (avg. 28.14) at the end of this Test match.
By claming his 100th wicket Kallis also becomes the seventh South African
and 122nd bowler in Test history. However by taking 53 matches to reach
this milestone he needed maximum matches for a South African to do so.
With Shaun Pollock taking 10-147 in the match, he becomes the second
South African captain after EP Nupen (11-150 v England at Johannesburg, Old
Wanderers, December 1930) to take 10 or more wickets in a Test match.
Pollock (6-56) also just failed to better his own best innings figures as
captain, which still remains as the 6-30 against Sri Lanka at Cape Town
earlier this year in January 2001. His figures against Sri Lanka still
remains the best bowling performance by a South African captain in Tests.
Pollock emulates England's Gubby Allen (10-78 at Lord's, June 1936) and
Pakistani Imran Khan (11-79 at Karachi, December 1983 and 11-180 at
Faisalabad. January 1983) to become the only third Test captain to claim a
ten wicket haul against India.
Pollock's 6-56 was the best bowling performance at this ground bettering
the 6-66 by Makhaya Ntini against New Zealand in November last year.
With this win, South Africa has now won all the three matches that have
been played here since 1999. They had beaten Zimbabwe by an innings and 13
runs in November 1999 and New Zealand by 5 wickets in November last.
Since December 1999, this was India's seventh Test loss overseas although
it has won three.
South Africa since losing to India at Kanpur in December 1996, has now
won five matches out the six the teams have played each other. It was also
South Africa's third win a row against India.
South Africa since November 1998 has an impressive Test record: Played
34, Won 21, Lost 3, Drawn 10.
India's tour of South Africa: Complete coverage