Quantcast

By the numbers: India's epic final-day resistance

A look at some of the stunning statistics to emerge from a day on which India clung on for a memorable draw against the Aussies in Sydney

132 | India's backs-to-the-wall effort today is comfortably the longest they've held on to draw a Test match against Australia, at 131 overs. Previously, the most overs they'd managed to last in a fourth innings to earn a draw against Australia was 89.2 – at the SCG in January 2015. The most epic effort to draw a Test in Australia this century came by the Proteas in 2012, when debutant Faf du Plessis and co famously outlasted the hosts on the final day in Adelaide.

14.29 | Hanuma Vihari's 161-ball vigil for 23no is the ninth-slowest innings in recorded Test history (min 150 balls faced) in terms of strike-rate. The last time a player batted for more than 150 balls at a slower rate was South African Hashim Amla's remarkable 25 from 244 deliveries versus India in Delhi in 2015.

Brave India pull off the great escape at the SCG

1.5 | Josh Hazlewood's figures of 2-39 from 26 overs are among the most economical from a fast bowler in Australia this century. From innings of 20-plus overs, only Glenn McGrath (three times) and Pat Cummins (once) have been more frugal in terms of runs per over (1.50).

128 | Ravichandran Ashwin has played 103 Test innings and this is the eighth-most balls he has faced. He has reached 20 on 43 occasions, and among those, this is his slowest innings in terms of strike rate.

205 | Balls faced by Cheteshwar Pujara in his valiant 77. It is the eighth time Pujara has faced 200+ deliveries in an innings against Australia; among his compatriots that is matched only by Sunil Gavaskar (also with eight).

Pujara defies then thrives to post fighting 77

256 | The unbroken 62-run stand between Ashwin and Vihari is the longest for the sixth wicket by an Indian pair in Australia in terms of balls faced, bettering the mark of 244 set by their current teammates Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane during this summer's Boxing Day Test.

22 | Only once before has Mitchell Starc bowled as many overs (22) in a Test innings without taking a wicket – that was in Chennai back in February 2013, when he took 0-75 from 25 overs as Australia lost by eight wickets.

56.88 | Rishabh Pant's batting average in Australia is the best by a wicketkeeper in 60 years (min 200 runs). The Indian gloveman also averages a handy 146 at the SCG from three innings, having made a blistering 159no at the venue two years ago.

Pant turns tables on Aussies until Lyon's intervention

46 | Nathan Lyon got through an incredible 46 overs through the fourth innings – the 11th time he has managed at least that many overs in a Test innings through his 99-match career. The last time he bowled more in a Test innings was two years ago against the same opponent at the same venue; the 57.2 he got through in the first innings of that match are the most he has ever bowled.

Lyon to Australia's rescue to remove Pant short of century

56 | Years since a team has faced as many balls (786) in the fourth innings of a Test at the SCG. Back then, in 1964, it was a South African side that also desperately held on for 117 (eight-ball) overs for a draw against the hosts.

Vodafone Test Series v India 2020-21

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner

India Test squad: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: India won by eight wickets

Third Test: January 7-11, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Fourth Test: January 15-19, Gabba, 11am AEDT