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A fourth-innings special

Stats highlights of India's six-wicket win against England in Chennai

Cricinfo staff
15-Dec-2008

Sachin Tendulkar's century was his first in a successful run-chase in Tests © Getty Images
 
  • India's successful run-chase is now the fourth-highest in Tests, and the highest in India - the record was previously held by West Indies, who chased down 276 in Delhi in 1987. West Indies still hold the record for the highest successful run-chase overall - they scored 418 to beat Australia in Antigua in 2003.
  • Sachin Tendulkar's 41st Test century, his seventh against England, is only his third in the fourth innings of a Test, and the first among them to feature in an Indian win. Tendulkar's 136, also in Chennai, in India's agonizing 12-run defeat to Pakistan in 1999, was his previous fourth-innings century.
  • Only Sunil Gavaskar, who made 102 in India's highest successful run-chase of 406 against West Indies in Port of Spain in 1976, and Ricky Ponting have more centuries in the fourth-innings of a Test - four each - than Tendulkar, who became the tenth player to score three or more centuries in the fourth innings.
  • Tendulkar has scored more runs in Chennai - 876 in nine Tests at an average of 87.60 - than any other venue. Gavaskar, who's scored 1018 runs in 12 Tests at 59.88 at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium, is the highest run-getter at the ground, but Tendulkar has scored more centuries there- five against three.
  • Tendulkar became the sixth player, and the third Indian, after Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman, to go past 1000 runs in 2008. It's the fifth time he's gone past that figure for a calendar year.
  • The unbeaten 163-run partnership between Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh is the fifth-highest for India in the fourth innings, and the highest in a successful run-chase. This was the pair's second century partnership - they average 54 in seven innings - and the first since Yuvraj's debut Test in Mohali against New Zealand in 2003.
  • Both batsmen showed few signs of getting bogged down - the maximum dot-ball streak during their partnership was just 9, between the 88th and the 90th over. They kept the scoreboard ticking constantly, scoring 54% of their runs - 88 out of 163 - in singles and twos.
  • It's the fourth time - and the first time in an Indian win - that four Indian batsmen have scored fifty and above in the fourth innings of a Test.
  • It's only the tenth occasion - and the fourth since 1980 - that England have lost despite having two centurions in a single innings of a Test.
  • Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who's led his team to four wins in as many Tests as captain, became the sixth player to win four or more matches at the start of his captaincy. Percy Chapman, the former England captain, holds the record for most consecutive wins since taking over as captain with nine, from August 1926 to June 1930.
  • Monty Panesar disappointed in the fourth innings, going wicketless for 105 runs in 27 overs. His fourth-innings bowling average of 35.13 is higher than his overall average of 32.58, which is surprising given spinners are usually at their most effective in the last innings. Since 2000 spinners overall average 31.64 in the fourth innings and 35.34 in all innings.