A Ponting-Clarke show again
Stats highlights from the first day of the Adelaide Test, which was once again dominated completely by Australia's batsmen
Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan
24-Jan-2012
Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke shared their third double-century stand against India • AFP
After winning a good toss, Australia recovered from early setbacks to grind India's bowling through another double-century partnership between Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting. Here are the major stats highlights from the first day.
- Ponting went past the 13,000-run mark in his 162nd match and 275th innings. He becomes the third player to reach the mark after Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. While Dravid got there in fewer matches (160), Tendulkar got there in fewer innings (266). In the course of his innings, Ponting also became the highest run-getter against India, going past Clive Lloyd.
- Ponting's century is his eighth against India, making him level with Garry Sobers and Viv Richards as the player with the most Test centuries against India. It is also his sixth century in Adelaide. Among Australia's batsmen, only Don Bradman has more centuries at a particular venue (9 at the MCG).
- For the first time since the 2006 Ashes, Ponting has scored two centuries in a series. Ponting also went past 1500 runs in Adelaide. Only seven batsmen have more runs at a particular venue.
- Clarke scored his fifth century in only his 12th Test as captain. Clarke's series aggregate is now his best ever.
- The double-century stand between Ponting and Clarke is the fourth for Australia in the series. This is only the third time that Australia have managed four 200-plus stands in a series. The other times they did it were against West Indies, in 1955 and 1968. It is also only the second time that a team has registered four double-century stands against India. The other team to do so was Pakistan in 1983. Clarke and Ponting are now second among Australian pairs with the most partnership runs against India. All three of their century stands have been over 200.
- Shaun Marsh's poor series continued with another early dismissal. His aggregate of 17 runs so far is the second-lowest in a Test series (minimum five innings) for a top-order player (1-6). He slots in behind Ken Rutherford, who aggregated only 12 runs in the 1985 series against West Indies.