Statistical highlights, Day 3

India vs South Africa, 2nd Test, Day 3: Report | Images | Scorecard

·        Virender Sehwag (88) became the quickest Indian to aggregate 2,500 runs in Test cricket. Sehwag needed only 47 innings to reach this landmark, which are 3 less than Rahul Dravid, the previous record holder for India.

·        In all Test cricket, Sehwag is the joint fifth fastest to aggregate 2,500 runs in a career after Don Bradman, Everton Weekes, Herbert Sutcliffe & Neil Harvey and alongwith Wally Hammond, Dennis Compton and Viv Richards.

·        Sachin Tendulkar (20) has now aggregated 104 runs in his last nine innings. His sequence of scores since making an unbeaten 194 against Pakistan at Multan in March this year is: 2, 8, 1, 8, 2, 5, 55, 3 & 20.

·        Tendulkar has now played nine consecutive innings without scoring a century since his 194* against Pakistan at Multan earlier this year. He is now inching towards his longest lean patch. Tendulkar's longest century-less sequence is of 13 consecutive innings - on two separate occasions. Tendulkar's maiden Test century had come after 13 innings. Then again he played 13 innings between his century # 31 and 32.

·        Rahul Dravid (80) was making a score of 80 (or more) without reaching to three-figure mark for the 15th time in his career. He has now equalled Australia's Steve Waugh and West Indies' Brian Lara's tally of such scores. Now only one batsman – England's Mike Atherton – is ahead of Dravid with 16 scores between 80 and 99. The following table lists the batsmen with most such scores. It will be observed that Dravid has the highest frequency of scores between 80 and 99.

·        The 51-run unbroken partnership between Dinesh Karthik and Irfan Pathan for the seventh wicket is India's highest against South Africa on Indian soil. The pair obliterated the previous best of 42 between Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath at this same venue in 1996-97.