A Kohli-Gambhir show again
Stats highlights from India's convincing 50-run win in their first match of the Asia Cup
Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan
13-Mar-2012
Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir are now on top of the list of batting pairs with the most double-century partnerships in ODIs • Associated Press
India bounced back in style in their opening game of the Asia Cup following their early exit in the tri-series in Australia. Here are highlights from a game dominated yet again by the Virat Kohli-Gautam Gambhir partnership
- Kohli scored his tenth century in ODIs in just his 83rd match. It is also his second consecutive century against Sri Lanka after the match-winning 133 in India's final league match in the tri-series in Australia. Kohli now has three centuries in matches in Mirpur, including one in the opening match of the 2011 World Cup against Bangladesh. Among batsmen with 3000-plus ODI runs, Kohli's average of 48.42 is behind only those of Michael Bevan, MS Dhoni, AB de Villiers and Michael Hussey.
- Gambhir also scored his tenth ODI century and his first since his century against New Zealand in December 2010. Gambhir has been dismissed four times in the 90s including twice in consecutive matches in the recently concluded tri-series in Australia. The century was also Gambhir's third in Mirpur and fifth against Sri Lanka. Only Sachin Tendulkar, Saeed Anwar and Adam Gilchrist have more centuries against Sri Lanka.
- Kohli and Gambhir added another century stand to their already impressive partnership record. Their partnership aggregate of 873 runs against Sri Lanka is now only 255 runs behind the all-time leading aggregate by a pair against Sri Lanka (Tendulkar-Sourav Ganguly with 1128 runs). The century stand for the second wicket is also India's 70th for that wicket in ODIs. Only Australia have more second-wicket century stands (77) than India.
- The 205-run stand between Kohli and Gambhir was their third double-century partnership in ODIs. They now move level top with Tendulkar and Ganguly on the list of batting pairs with the most double-century stands in ODIs. It is the seventh 200-plus stand for India against Sri Lanka and the second for this pair against Sri Lanka.
- Sachin Tendulkar has now gone for more than one year in ODIs (12 ODIs) without a century. His last century came against South Africa in the World Cup game in Nagpur. In his last eight innings in ODIs, he has scored just 149 runs at 18.62. Overall (Tests and ODIs combined), his longest century-less streak was in 2007 (34 innings). Since last year, he has now gone 33 innings without a century.
- The 78-run stand between Dhoni and Suresh Raina was scored at a run-rate of 10.88. This partnership run-rate is the third-highest for India in ODIs against Sri Lanka for a fifty-plus partnership. The highest is 13.09 in the century stand between Kohli and Raina in the stunning chase in Hobart.
- India made their 68th 300-plus score in ODIs, the most by any team. However, their win-loss ratio of 4.58 in these matches is far behind that of the leader (Australia with 15.00). It is also their 15th 300-plus score against Sri Lanka and moves them level with Pakistan on the list of teams with the most such scores against a particular opponent. (Pakistan have 15 300-plus scores against India).
- The win is India's 71st in ODIs against Sri Lanka. Only Australia (85 wins against New Zealand) and Pakistan (75 wins against Sri Lanka) have more wins against a particular team.
- Sangakkara's half-century takes his tally of fifty-plus scores against India to 19. Only Sanath Jayasuriya, with 21 fifty-plus scores, is above Sangakkara on the list of batsmen with most such scores against India.
- Mahela Jayawardene's strike rate of 132.20 is his third-highest for a fifty-plus score and his highest for such a score in ODIs against India.
- Mirpur has hosted 31 ODIs since the beginning of 2010. Harare and Dambulla are next, having hosted 14 matches each in the same period.