Melbourne: Statistical highlights on day three of the third cricket Test between India and Australia here Sunday.
Virat Kohli's brilliant 169 off 272 balls is his career-best innings in Tests - his first century in a Test match against Australia at MCG.
Kohli's fifth century vs Australia is his ninth in Tests - his sixth away from home.
Kohli has recorded three hundreds in the current rubber - 115 & 141 in the first Test at Adelaide and 169 at Melbourne.
Kohli became the second Indian batsman to post three centuries in a Test series in Australia. Gavaskar, in successive games, had registered a hundred each at Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne in the 1977-78 series.
Ajinkya Rahane (147 off 171 balls) has recorded a career-best innings in Tests, surpassing the 118 off 158 balls vs New Zealand at Wellington in February 2014.
Rahane's only other century is 103 vs England at Lord's in July 2014.
Rahane became the first India's number five player to hit three fifties in a Test series against Australia in Australia.
Rahane enjoys a superb record away from home in Tests - his tally being 970 (ave.48.50) in twelve Tests, including three centuries and six fifties.
Rahane, for the first time, has totalled 300 runs (ave.60.00) in a Test series, overtaking the 299 (ave.33.22) in five Tests vs England in 2014.
Brad Haddin became the fourth Australian wicketkeeper and the ninth in Test annals to complete 250 dismissals. He has accomplished the feat in 62 Tests - the second fastest behind the 59 Tests taken by Adam Gilchrist.
India (462/8), for the first time, have recorded a total of 450 at MCG, bettering the 445 in December 1985.
Virat Kohli's impressive tally of 445 (ave.89.00) in five innings, including three hundreds. Is his best in a Test series, outstripping his tally of 300 (ave.37.50) in the 2011-12 series against Australia.
Kohli's aforesaid tally is the highest by an Indian player in the current rubber.
Sachin Tendulkar (six), Sunil Gavaskar (five), VVS Laxman (four) and Virat Kohli (four) are the Indian players to have managed four hundreds or more against Australia in Australia.
Kohli became the tenth Indian batsman to amass 1,000 runs in Tests vs Australia - his tally being 1029 (ave.57.16) in eleven Tests, including five hundreds and two fifties.
Rahane and Kohli were involved in a partnership of 262 - India's highest for any wicket against Australia at MCG, surpassing the 165 for the first wicket between Chetan Chauhan and Sunil Gavaskar in 1980-81. The said partnership is their fourth stand of 200-plus for any wicket against Australia in Australia.
The above partnership is India's second highest for the fourth wicket overseas behind the 353 between VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar at Sydney in January 2004. The said partnership is the third highest for any wicket outside Asia - the highest two being 353 for the fourth wicket between VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar at Sydney in 2003-04 and 303 for the fifth wicket between Dravid and Laxman at Adelaide in 2003-04.
The 262-run partnership is the first double century stand for the fourth wicket against Australia at MCG. A partnership of 200 and more has been registered by a visiting pair at MCG almost after 90 years - the last pair being England's Hobbs and Sutcliffe - 283 for the first wicket in January 1925.
In a boxing day Test at Melbourne, both teams have recorded 400-plus in the first innings for the second time - the first occasion being Pakistan (470) and Australia (555) in December 1983.
