South Africa v India, 1st Test, Jo'burg, 1st day

India's top order exposed again

S Rajesh

December 15, 2006

Despite a few encouraging partnerships, India ended the day on the back foot, losing all their specialist batsmen except Sourav Ganguly. Cricinfo looks at the stats highlights from the first day's play.

Will this be Sachin Tendulkar's first year without a Test fifty since 1991? © Getty Images

69 - The third-wicket partnership between Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. It's the highest for that wicket for India against South Africa in Tests, beating the unbeaten 60 the same pair put together at Kolkata in 2004.

14.88 - India's average partnership for the third wicket in Tests in South Africa, with just two half-century stands in 17 tries.

22.77 - The average Indian opening-wicket stand in Tests in South Africa. In 18 partnerships they've only managed two fifty-plus scores, with a highest of 90

44 - Tendulkar's score in the first innings, his highest in nine Test innings in 2006. If he fails to get at least a half-century in this Test and the next, it'll be the first time since 1991 that he'll have gone an entire year without a fifty-plus score in Tests. (Click here for Tendulkar's career summary in Tests.)

0.86 - Rahul Dravid's scoring rate against Shaun Pollock. In 28 balls, he managed just four runs. Pollock ended the day with 1 for 14 from 12 overs, an economy rate of 1.16 runs per over

40 - The number of deliveries left alone by the Indian batsmen in the morning session of 14 overs

S Rajesh is stats editor of Cricinfo

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