India vs South Africa, 2019: 1st Test, Day 3 – Elgar’s record knock, De Kock replicates ABD, Jadeja’s milestone and more stats

South Africa finally put up a fight in the Vizag Test as they scored a grand total of 346 runs on the 3rd day to bring the deficient below 150. Dean Elgar’s century partnerships with Faf du Plessis (55) and Quinton de Kock (111) took the visitors from 63/4 to 342/5. Elgar was eventually dismissed for 160 and his team lost two more before the stumps. They ended the day on 385/8 with 117 runs still behind India’s total.

All the statistical highlights from the day that belonged to the resistance of the South African batsmen:

A game for the openers:

3 – As many as three openers scored 150+ in an innings in this match; the joint-most in any Test match. Three openers recorded 150+ scores during the 1948 Johannesburg Test and 2003 Birmingham Test between England and South Africa. The same was witnessed during the Bangladesh-Pakistan Test hosted by Khulna in 2015.

16 – A total of 16 sixes have been hit by the opening batsmen in this match thus far; the most by openers in a Test match. The previous most number of maximums hit by the openers in a Test match was 14 during the Pakistan-New Zealand Test in Sharjah, 2014 and the Bangladesh-Pakistan Test in Khulna, 2015.

Elgar’s record hundred:

160 – Dean Elgar’s 160-run knock is the 2nd highest individual Test score by a South African opener in India. Andrew Hall scored 163 during the 2004 Kanpur Test match while opening the innings for the Proteas.

2012 – Elgar became the first visiting opener to score 150+ in a Test innings on Indian soil since 190 by Alastair Cook in the 2012 series.

2014 – The last instance of a South African opener scoring fifty-plus runs in a Test match in Asia was way back in 2014. Elgar himself scored 103 in the Test match in Galle during their tour of Sri Lanka.

De Kock matches De Villiers:

2 – Quinton de Kock became only the 2nd wicket-keeper to score a century for South Africa in Asia. AB de Villiers scored 164 in the 2013 Dubai Test against Pakistan.

3 – De Kock is also only the 3rd South African to score a hundred in maiden Test innings in India. Andrew Hall (163 in 2004) and Alviro Petersen (100 in 2010) are the other two players with this feat.

Jadeja @ 200:

200 – Ravindra Jadeja became the fastest left-arm bowler to take 200 wickets in Test cricket. The 44 Test matches he needed for this milestone are the 2nd fewest by any Indian bowler.

Stats: Ravindra Jadeja completes 200 wickets in Test cricket

A record partnership:

164 – The 164-run partnership between Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock is South Africa’s 4th highest partnership in test cricket for the 6th wicket. This is also the first 150+ stand for a South African pair for the 6th or lower wicket in Asia.

1 – South Africa had century stands for the 5th and 6th wicket in the same innings for the first time in a Test match in Asia. There are three other instances where the Proteas had a century partnership for both 5th and 6th wicket in an innings.