Statistical highlights (3rd day) at Ahmedabad
by Mohandas Menon
-- Sachin Tendulkar's 103 was not only his 27th Test hundred in his 88th 
match, but it was also his 50th first-class hundred since his first on debut 
in a Ranji Trophy match for Bombay in 1988. Playing in his 176th match and 
273 innings he became the fifth Indian to score fifty or more hundreds in 
first-class cricket. The others being - Sunil Gavaskar (81hundreds in 348 
matches from 1966 to 1987), Vijay Hazare (60 in 238 from 1934 to 1968), 
Dilip Vengsarkar (55 in 260 from 1975 to 1992) and Mohammad Azharuddin (54 
in 229 from 1981 to 2000).
-- Tendulkar's 27th Test hundred takes him to the joint third position in 
Test history among batsmen with maximum hundreds. Now only Gavaskar (34 
hundreds in 125 Tests) and Don Bradman (29 in 52) have more hundreds than 
Tendulkar, who equals tally of 27 hundreds by Australians Allan Border (in 
156 Tests) and Steve Waugh (in 142 Tests).
-- Among batsmen who have over 15 Test hundreds to their credit, Tendulkar 
now has the third best frequency percentage for every hundred per innings. 
Only Don Bradman (36.25% - 29 hundreds in 80 innings) and West Indian Clyde 
Walcott (20.27% - 15 hundreds in 74 innings) have a better frequency 
percentage than Tendulkar's 19.14%  (27 hundreds in 141 innings). Following 
Tendulkar are England's Herbert Sutcliffe (19.05% - 16 hundreds in 84 
innings) and West Indian Everton Weekes (18.52% - 15 hundreds in 81 
innings).
-- Meanwhile, Tendulkar's hundred was his fifth against England in his 11th 
match and 16 innings. Now among Indians only Azharuddin has scored more 
hundreds - six - against England in 16 matches. Vengsarkar has also scored 
five hundreds in 27 matches.
-- Interestingly, no batsman in Test history has been so frequent in scoring 
hundreds against England than Tendulkar.  Among batsmen who have over four 
Test hundreds against England, Tendulkar now has the best frequency 
percentage for every hundred per innings. His frequency of 31.25% is now 
even better than the great Don Bradman whose 19 hundreds in 63 innings gave 
him a frequency of 30.16% per innings against England. Following these two 
batsmen are West Indian George Headley (27.59% - 8 hundreds in 29 innings) 
and Azharuddin (25.00% - 6 hundreds in 24 innings).
-- The 118 run partnership between Tendulkar and VVS Laxman was the best 
partnership for the fifth wicket at this ground bettering the previous best 
of 70 between the New Zealander pair of Nathan Astle and Stephen Fleming in 
October 1999.
-- Ashley Giles' 5-67 was his best bowling figures of his Test career in 9 
matches. His previous best figures were the 5-75 against Pakistan at 
Faisalabad in November 2000.
-- Giles' has now taken 31 Test wickets, of which 29 have come in the Indian 
continent - 17 in Pakistan, 7 in Sri Lanka and now five in India. While his 
bowling average is 27.10 per wicket in the subcontinent in 7 matches, his 
average in two matches in England is 107.00! He has just two wickets in two 
matches at home.
-- The last occasion England took the first innings lead in India was at 
Madras way back in January 1985. England then had a lead of a massive 380 
runs, which helped them to win the Test by nine wickets.
Also read: Match Report
England's tour of India : Complete coverage