1st day:

• Sourav Ganguly was winning the toss for only sixth time out of the 19 Tests he has captained India in a home Test.
• It was only seventh time India were inviting Pakistan to bat first after winning the toss. On five occasions out of six previous such occasions the match ended in a draw and only once (at Rawalpindi in 2003-04) India registered a win.
• For the first time since November 2000 (v Zimbabwe at Nagpur) India went into a home Test match with three specialist seamers.
• Rahul Dravid was playing his 200th first class cricket match. He became 32nd Indian to do so. Bishan Singh Bedi leads the tally of Indians with most first-class games with 370 appearances.
• Inzamamul Haq (57) made his highest score on Indian soil. His previous highest was 51 at Chennai in 1998-99.
• The eighth wicket partnership of 43 runs between Asim Kamal and Mohammad Sami is the highest for this wicket-position in all Tests on this ground. The pair bettered the 38-run partnership between Jimmy Adams and Courtney Walsh of West Indies in 1994-95.
• Asim Kamal (91) made his third fifty plus score in four innings against India. Incidentally it was the second time in his Test career that Kamal was getting dismissed in 90s. The other such instance for Kamal was in debut game about South Africa at Lahore in 2003-04 when he missed his maiden hundred by a solitary run.
• L.Balaji (5-76) took his first five-wicket innings haul in Test cricket. Incidentally his previous best performance had also come against Pakistan- 4 for 63 at Rawalpindi in 2003-04 series.
• Balaji became the fourth Indian bowler to claim five wickets in an innings on this ground after Javagal Srinath (6-45 v New Zealand in 1999-00), Anil Kumble (6-81 v England in 2001-02) and Harbhajan Singh (5-51 v England in 2001-02).

2nd day:

• The start of game was delayed for about 220 minutes because of rain. This was the second instance of rain-gods delaying the start of a day’s play at Mohali. The previous such instance was in India-New Zealand match in 1999-00 when Indian first innings on first day was delayed.
• Virender Sehwag (95*) made his ninth fifty in 32nd Test – his second against Pakistan.
• The first wicket partnership of 113 runs between Gambhir and Sehwag was the eighth century partnership for India against Pakistan.
• It was only the second time Gambhir and Sehwag were getting involved in a century opening wicket partnership. The only other instance was against South Africa at Kanpur in 2004-05 when the pair added 213 runs.
• Incidentally it was the seventh century partnership for opening wicket involving Sehwag, which takes him ahead of Navjot Sidhu. Only Sunil Gavaskar (22) and Chetan Chauhan (10) have been involved in more century opening stands for India.
• Sehwag provided the fourth instance of an Indian batsman remaining unbeaten in ninety at the end of a day’s play in a Test against Pakistan after Polly Umrigar (at Peshawar in 1954-55), Sunil Gavaskar (at Karachi in 1978-79 and at Chennai in 1979-80). Incidentally on all the three previous occasions the concerned batsman managed to reach three figure mark on the following day.

3rd day:

• Virender Sehwag (173) scored his ninth hundred in 32nd Test – second against Pakistan. His scores in five innings against Pakistan have been – 309,39,90,0….and 173. Interestingly all of Sehwag’s nine hundreds have come in first innings for India and none in the second innings.
• Among the Indians only Gavaskar had more hundreds than Tendulkar after 32 Tests – 10.
• Sehwag has now aggregated 611 runs in five innings against Pakistan at an average of 122.20. He is only the third Indian batsman to average 100 or more against a particular opponent (having scored at least 500 runs). Others to do so are – Vinoo Mankad (526 runs at 105.20 v New Zealand) and Rahul Dravid (804 runs at 100.50 v Zimbabwe).
• This was Sehwag’s eighth hundred in 27 Tests as an opener. His maiden hundred (v South Africa at Bloemfontein in 2001-02) had come at number six. Sehwag thus equaled the tally of Navjot Sidhu. Now only Sunil Gavaskar with 33 hundreds in 119 Tests have scored more hundreds as an opener for India.
• This was Sehwag’s second hundred on this ground (after his 130 against New Zealand in 2003-04). Sehwag thus became first batsman to score two hundreds on this ground.
• Sehwag’s innings is the highest for India on this ground beating Rahul Dravid’s 144 against New Zzealand in 1999-00. Sehwag,however,failed to beat alltime highest of 174* by Jimmy Adams of West Indies (in 1994-95).
• Sehwag was involved in the three century partnerships. He became the third Indian batsman to be involved in three century partnerships in same innings. Others to do so for India are Vinod Kambli (v Zimbabwe at Delhi in 1992-93) and Rahul Dravid (v Pakistan at Rawalpindi in 2003-04).
• For the tenth time in Test cricket history century partnership was made for first three wickets in an innings. It was the first such instance for India.
• The 103 runs partnership for the second wicket between Sehwag and Dravid was the 50th century partnership involving Dravid. He became only the third Indian and seventh batsman overall to accomplish this feat. Dravid’s break-up of century partnerships : 17 for second wicket, 15 for third,7 for fourth,8 for fifth, one for sixth and 2 for eighth.
• Sachin Tendulkar (94) was getting dismissed in 90s for the sixth time in his career. Only Dravid has more scores in 90s for India than Tendulkar – 7.
• Sourav Ganguly (21) completed 2,000 runs at home soil just before getting out. He became 11th Indian batsman to aggregate 2,000 runs on Indian soil.
• The wicket of Dinesh Karthik was 50th for Mohammad Sami in his 19th Test. He became 26th Pakistani bowler to do so.

4th day:

• India's 516 is their highest at this ground obliterating the 515 for nine declared made against Sri Lanka in 1997-98. However the highest total at this ground still remains New Zealand’s 630 for six declared in 2003-04.
• For the third consecutive time India notched up 500-plus total – 526 at Dhaka and 540 at Chittagong (both against Bangladesh) followed by 516 at Mohali. This was the second such occasion for India. They had performed this feat in 1992-93 when they made 560 for six declared at Madras, followed by 591 at Bombay (both against England) in 1992-93, followed by 536 for 7 wickets declared against Zimbabwe at Delhi in 1992-93.
• Pakistan made use of only four bowlers during the Indian innings. This provided only the third instance in Test cricket history of a side employing only four bowlers in opposition’s total of 500-plus. India’s total is now the second highest such total after Australia’s 528 at Adelaide (against India!) in 1982-83.
• It was the second instance of four Pakistan bowlers conceding 100 or more runs in an innings against India. The first instance was recorded at Multan last year when Shoaib Akhtar (119), Mohammad Sami (110), Shabbir Ahmed (122) and Saqlain Mushtaq (204) conceded more than 100 runs.
• L. Balaji (31) made his highest Test score in his sixth Test bettering the previous best of 11 also made against Pakistan at Rawalpindi in 2003-04.
• Danish Kaneria (6-150) achieved the second best bowling figures by a Pakistani spinner against India. Iqbal Qasim's 6 for 40 at Mumbai in 1979-80 remains the best.
• Kaneria became the third Pakistan bowler to concede 150 runs in an innings against India in India after Haseeb Ahsan (84-19-202-6 at Madras in 1960-61) and Tauseef Ahmed (67-6-189-3 at Madras in 1986-87)
• The partnership of 139 runs between Yousuf Youhana and Inzamam-ul-Haq was Pakistan's best in India for the fourth wicket. The pair obliterated the previous best of 114 runs betweeen Saeed Anwar and Youhana at Kolkata in 1998-99.
• The above partnership was the eighth 100-plus stand for the fourth wicket between this pair – most for any pair in Test cricket. The previous record was of seven century stands between Waugh brothers of Australia. Youhana-Haq pair also completed 2,000 runs for the fourth wicket while at the wicket together.
• Inzamam-ul-Haq completed his 15,000th runs in first-class cricket. He was appearing in his 218th match and 347th innnings.
• Inzamam has been dismissed by Anil Kumble on six occasions in six Test matches. Kumble has now dismissed Inzamam most times than any other Test bowler.
• Anil Kumble dismissed Inzamam in both innings in identical fashion – LBW. This was the second instance of a Pakistan batsman getting out LBW in both innings to the same bowler against India. The only other instance was seen at Delhi in 1998-99 when Saqlain Mushtaq was dismissed LBW by Kumble (!) in both innings.

5th day:

• Kamran Akmal (109) became second Pakistan wicket-keeper to score a Test century against India after Imtiaz Ahmed who had made 135 at Madras in 1960-61.
• Kamran Akmal's 109 was the tenth century by the fifth Pakistani keeper in Tests. The others to do so are: Moin Khan (four),Imtiaz Ahmed (three), Taslim Arif and Rashid Latif (one each).
• Akmal also became the first Pakistani wicket-keeper to score a century – both in Test cricket and ODIs. Akmal had made 124 against the West Indies at Brisbane on 19-01-2005 in the VB series. Overall he became only the seventh wicket-keeper to do so.
• At 23 years 58 days Akmal became the second youngest wicket-keeper to score a Test century for Pakistan. Moin Khan at 23 years 40 days (115* v Australia at Lahore in 1994-95) still remains the youngest.
• The 184-run partnership between Abdul Razzaq and Kamran Akmal was Pakistan's best for the seventh wicket against India – home or away. The pair surpassed the previous best of 154 runs between Imran Khan and Ijaz Faqih at Ahmedabad in 1986-87.
• The above partnership is also a new record for seventh wicket at Mohali, beating the 99-run partnership between Jimmy Adams and Anderson Cummins for West Indies in 1994-95.
• The Razzaq-Akmal partnership is now the best for seventh wicket against India in India, bettering the 163 by Bert Sutcliffe and Bruce Taylor for New Zealand at Calcutta in 1964-65. This, infact, is the second best partnership for the seventh wicket against India in all Tests after the 194-run partnership between Hashan Tillekeratne and Thilan Samaraweera for Sri Lanka at Colombo SSC in 2001-02.
• Balaji’s match figures of 9 for 171 are the best for any bowler at this ground obliterating Javagal Srinath’s 8 for 108 against New Zealand in 1999-00.
• The caught and dismissal of Mohammad Sami brought wicket no. 450 for Anil Kumble. He was playing his 93rd Test. Kumble became first Indian and fifth bowler after Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Courtney Walsh and Glenn McGrath to do so.
• Pakistan's total of 496 for 9 declared was their highest total on Indian soil. The previous best was 487 for 9 decl. at Madras in 1986-87.
• The 52 extras in Pakistan innings were the most conceded by India in an innings against Pakistan. The previous record was of 45 extras in Pakistan's innings of 481 for 9 declared at Karachi in 1978-79. Incidentally it was the seventh instance of India conceding 50 extras in an innings.
• This was the first drawn Test between the two sides in the last seven Tests. The last drawn match was the Sialkot Test in 1989-90. Since then in six matches, before this one, India and Pakistan have won three matches each.
• This match was Pakistan's only third drawn Test in last four years (since March 2001). During this period Pakistan has played 33 Tests— winning 16 and losing 14. Interestingly India during this period have played most drawn Tests – 15 out of 44.
• Akmal won his maiden Man of the Match award.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 Rajneesh Gupta)