By IANS
Sydney : India’s V.V.S. Laxman became only the third batsman to register three centuries in successive innings at the Sydney Cricket Ground with his 109 off 142 deliveries Thursday. That followed his 167 off 198 balls in 1999-00 and 178 off 298 balls in 2003-04.
In three Tests at SCG, Laxman has aggregated 461 runs in four innings at an average of 115.25.
England’s Wally Hammond was the first to accomplish the feat – 251 in 1928-29; 112 (1st Test) in 1932-33 and 101 (5th Test) in 1932-33.
Australia’s Doug Walters became the first Australian to hit three centuries in successive innings at SCG in the same series against West Indies in 1968-69 – 118 (3rd Test) and 242 & 103 (fifth Test).
Laxman’s 12th Test hundred in Tests is his fifth against Australia. Both Laxman and Tendulkar have hit four centuries each in Australia and only Gavaskar (5) has recorded more centuries for India in Australia.
The other good news for India was in the form of Anil Kumble approaching the mark of 100 wickets against Australia. He took four for 106 and now has 99 wickets against Australia at 27.10 runs apiece in 16 Tests. It is the most by any bowler in India-Australia Tests and equals Kapil Dev’s Indian record of most wickets against one country – 99 (ave.30.12) in 29 Tests against Pakistan.
Kumble’s dismissal of Stuart Clark made him the first bowler to claim 150 wickets as “LBW”.
The Indian team, which has often been criticised for allowing tail-enders to get away with good scores, earned another dubious distinction of conceding most runs to the last four wickets. India conceded 329 runs after six wickets had fallen for 134.
India’s previous record for conceding most runs for the last four wickets was 306 to New Zealand – 85 for six to 391 all-out at Auckland in 1989-90.
Other statistical highlights of the second day’s play:
* Australia (463) registered their third total of 450-plus in succession at SCG against India in as many Tests. In their previous two Tests against India at SCG, they had made 552 for 5 wickets declared in January 2000 and 474 in January 2004.
* Andrew Symonds (162 not out) posted his career-best score, bettering his 156 against England at Melbourne in December 2006.
* The eighth wicket partnership of 114 between Symonds and Lee is Australia’s second best against India, next only to the 117 between Simon Katich and Jason Gillespie at Sydney in 2003-04.
* Brett Lee registered his fourth fifty – his first against India. His previous highest against India was 27 in the 1999-00 Melbourne Test.
* When his score reached 2, Sachin Tendulkar became the first Indian batsman to amass 500 runs at SCG in six innings (4 Tests).