AUS vs IND, 2020-21: 3rd Test, Day 5 – India’s blockathon, Pant’s counter-attack, Pujara @ 6000 runs and more stats

India held on to a draw in the Sydney Test against Australia as they survived 97 overs on the final day at the cost of only five wickets. India promoted Rishabh Pant and got quick runs despite Ajinkya Rahane falling in the 2nd over of the day. Pant eventually fell after scoring 97 from 118 and was involved in a 148-run stand with Cheteshwar Pujara (77). When India needed 137 from 44 overs, Pujara got cleaned up by Josh Hazlewood forcing the duo of Hanuma Vihari (23* off 161) and Ravichandran Ashwin (39* off 128) into a shell. Vihari, despite his hamstring injury, added 62* for the 6th wicket in 42.3 overs before the game ended in a draw.

Here are all the statistical highlights from the thrilling final day’s play at the Sydney cricket ground:

India’s blockathon:

131 – The 131 overs India batted are the most for them in the 4th innings to draw/win a Test match against Australia. Their previous most was 128.4 overs during the 1964 Mumbai Test where they won by two wickets.

131 – The tally of 131 overs batted by India is the most they batted in the 4th innings of a Test match in the past 41 years. These are also the most number of overs India batted in the 4th innings of a Test on Australian soil since the 1978 Adelaide Test where they lasted 141.4 8-ball overs.

These are also the joint 4th most number of overs they batted to draw a Test match in the 4th innings and also the first instance of India playing 100+ overs in the 4th innings to draw the game in this century.

A long partnership to draw the game:

256 – The unbeaten stand between Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin for the 6th wicket lasted 256 balls which is now the 2nd longest known 4th innings partnership to draw a Test match for India. The opening pair of W Raman and Manoj Prabhakar saw through 270 balls to draw the 1990 Auckland Test against New Zealand.

1.45 – The run rate of the 62-run partnership between Vihari and Ashwin is the lowest known run rate in any 50+ stand for India in Test cricket. The previous slowest was the 52-run stand between Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar during the 2005 Chennai Test against Sri Lanka as the duo batted out 28.5 overs at a run rate of 1.82.

Vihari-Ashwin’s stand is also the slowest 50-run partnership in Test cricket since AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis in the 4th innings of the 2012 Adelaide Test against Australia where the duo put on 89 runs for the 5th wicket in 68 overs at a run rate of 1.31.

Pant’s counter-attack:

97 – Rishabh Pant’s 97-run knock is the 2nd highest individual score by a wicketkeeper for India in the 4th innings of a Test match. The highest is also recorded by Pant who made 114 against England during 2018 The Oval Test.

8 – Pant has struck as many as 8 sixes in Test cricket on Australian soil which are the joint 2nd most by any Indian. Rohit Sharma leads the list with 10 sixes including the two he struck at the SCG while Virender Sehwag also has 8 maximums in Tests in Australia.

Indian batters show enough patience:

13.56 – Hanuma Vihari’s strike rate of 13.56 in the Sydney Test (27 in 199) is the 2nd lowest for any Indian player who faced 100+ balls in a Test match (Where known). The lowest is 11.66 of Rahul Dravid (21 in 180) during the 2007 Melbourne Test against the Aussies.

14.28 – Vihari had a strike rate of 14.28 during his unbeaten 23 off 161 balls during the 2nd innings which is the 2nd lowest strike rate for an Indian who had faced 150+ balls in a Test inning (Where known). The lowest is 8.28 by Yashpal Sharma during his 157-ball 13 in the 1981 Adelaide Test against the Australians.

33.33 – Cheteshwar Pujara’s strike rate of 33.33 is the lowest for any Indian in a Test match while scoring 50+ runs in both innings (Where known). The previous lowest was 33.96 by Rahul Dravid also against Australia in the 1998 Chennai Test match.

Pujara @ 6000 runs:

6030 – Cheteshwar Pujara became the 11th Indian to complete 6000 runs in Test cricket when he went past his individual score 47 and also went past 16000 runs in first-class cricket when he was on 67. Pujara reached the milestone in 134 Innings which makes him the 6th fastest among the 11 players to the feat.