Ganguly breaks the Kolkata jinx

Stats highlights from the second day's play at Eden Gardens.

01-Dec-2007

Stats highlights from the second day's play at Eden Gardens.

VVS Laxman became the leading run-scorer in Tests at Eden Gardens © AFP

The day surely belonged to Sourav Ganguly, who scored his first Test hundred in Kolkata, his home town. In seven Tests prior to this one at Eden Gardens, Ganguly had only one fifty - a 65 against Australia in 1998. Ganguly has no fifty in four ODIs he's played at the ground. It was also his first century against Pakistan.

VVS Laxman continued his great run in Kolkata, and became the leading Test run-getter at Eden Gardens during the course of his unbeaten 112, going past Mohammad Azharuddin. Laxman now has 898 runs at an average of 81.63 with three hundreds - the same as Rahul Dravid - in Kolkata, but is till two short of Azhar, who had five hundreds in seven Tests.

Wasim Jaffer became the third batsman to score a double-hundred at Eden Gardens, after Rohan Kanhai and VVS Laxman. It is Jaffer's second score over 200, his best being 212 against West Indies in St John's.

India's total of 616 for 5 declared was their second-highest against Pakistan, after their 675 for 5 declared in Multan in 2004. It was also their third total in excess of 600 at Eden Gardens; India had scored more against Australia in 1998 and in 2001 - when Laxman scored 281.

Danish Kaneria finished with figures of 2 for 194 from his 50 overs, the most runs conceded in an innings at Eden Gardens.

Danish Kaneria VVS Laxman Wasim Jaffer Sourav Ganguly Pakistan India India vs Pakistan

Mathew Varghese is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo