Statistical highlights, Day 3

· Sourav Ganguly (101) scored 12th hundred of his career – his first in about 21 months since scoring 144 against Australia at Brisbane in 2003-04.
 
· Sourav Ganguly, when on 51, completed his 5,000 runs in Test cricket. He became the eighth Indian batsman to do so.
 
5,000-run club members for India

· The dismissal of VVS Laxman provided the 14th instance of a run-out with Sourav Ganguly at the crease. Interestingly Ganguly himself has been run-out only on four occasions and his partners have suffered ten times. In fact Ganguly has been run-out only when Rahul Dravid was at the other end. For all other batsmen, they had to return to pavilion - be it their fault or Ganguly's. The accompanying table lists the Indian batsmen who have been involved in dozen or more run-outs:

· The seventh wicket partnership of 97 runs between Sourav Ganguly and Irfan Pathan is India's best for this wicket against Zimbabwe. This obliterated the previous record stand of 44 between Rahul Dravid and Robin Singh at Harare in 1998-99.
 
· Irfan Pathan became the ninth Indian player to perform the all-round feat of scoring a fifty and capturing a five-wicket innings haul in the first outing with bat and ball in a Test match. The details:

· India's total of 554 is their highest on Zimbabwean soil obliterating the previous highest of 318 at this same ground in 2001. India's total is also the fifth highest by any side in Zimbabwe after Sri Lanka's 713-3d at Bulawayo in 2003-04, South Africa's 600-3d at Harare in 2001-02, Zimbabwe's 563-9d (v West Indies) at Harare in 2001 and West Indies' 559-6d at Bulawayo in 2001.
 
· Zimbabwe lost their first five wickets with only 18 runs on the board. This is the lowest score at the fall of fifth wicket for any side against India. In second innings of Madras Test in 1969-70, Australia had lost their first five wickets at 24, which was the previous such score.
 
· Irfan Pathan four wickets in Zimbabwe's second innings took his tally of wickets in the match to nine. His match figures of 9-93 are easily the best by any Indian bowler against Zimbabwe, bettering Javagal Srinath's 9-141 at Delhi in 2000-01. Incidentally the previous best match figures by an Indian bowler in Zimbabwe was 7-129 by Anil Kumble at Harare in 1998-99.
 
· The wicket of Charles Coventry was the 200th of Harbhajan Singh's Test career. He became sixth Indian after Anil Kumble (463), Kapil Dev (434), Bishan Singh Bedi (266), Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (242) and Javagal Srinath (236) to do so.
 
· By taking 46 Tests to reach 200-wicket mark, Harbhajan became the fastest Indian to accomplish this feat. The previous record was held by fellow teammate Anil Kumble with 47 Tests. Harbhajan had to send down 12559 balls to complete his 200 wickets. In all Test cricket, only one spinner - Australia's Shane Warne - has reached 200 wickets in lesser balls.
 
· At 25 years 74 days Harbhajan became the youngest spinner to reach the landmark of 200 wickets in Test cricket, beating Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq's record. Saqlain had done so at the age of 25 years 362 days. Incidentally the youngest ever bowler to take 200 Test wickets is Pakistan's Waqar Younis at 24 years 26 days.