Statistical highlights from the fourth day's play of the first Test between India and South Africa in Centurion on Monday.
# India (454 for eight) recorded their highest total against South Africa in South Africa, bettering the 414 at Cape Town in January 2007.
# Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni shared a stand of 172 for the seventh wicket -- India's highest against South Africa in South Africa, surpassing the 76 between Rahul Dravid and Javagal Srinath at Johannesburg in January 1997.
# The above stand is India's second best for the seventh wicket against South Africa, next only to the unbroken partnership of 259 between VVS Laxman and Dhoni at Kolkata in February this year.
# Tendulkar has recorded eighty one 100-plus partnerships, overtaking Ricky Ponting's tally of 80 partnerships. Only Rahul Dravid has registered more century stands (85) than Tendulkar.
# Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first Indian number eight batsman to register a fifty or more in South Africa.
# Dhoni is the first Indian number eight batsman to post a hundred and a ninety against South Africa. He had recorded a hundred in February 2010 -- 132 not out off 187 balls at Kolkata.
# Dhoni recorded his 20th Test fifty -- his second against South Africa.
# Dhoni's splendid 90 off 106 balls is his highest in South Africa.
# Sachin Tendulkar, with his splendid 50th Test hundred, created cricket history -- 107 not out off 226 balls.
# The aforesaid century is Sachin's 28th away from home, extending his record.
# Tendulkar became the first Indian to record seven hundreds in a calendar year.
# Tendulkar became the first player to amass 1500 in India-South Africa Tests, making 1558 at an average of 41.00 in 23 Tests. He is also the first to post six centuries in India-South Africa Tests.
# Tendulkar is one of three batsmen to register four hundreds against South Africa in South Africa -- the first two being England's Wally Hammond and Australia's Neil Harvey.
# Tendulkar is also the first Indian player to amass 1500 runs in a calendar year -- 1539 at an average of 85.50 in 13 Tests.
# Tendulkar's runs' tally of 1539 (average 85.50) in 13 Tests in 2010 is the fifth highest in a calendar year, next only to Mohammad Yousuf (1788), Vivian Richards (1710), Graeme Smith (1656) and Ricky Ponting (1544).
# Ponting is the only batsman to record 1500 runs in a calendar year twice. He posted 1503 in 2003 and 1544 in 2005.
# Rahul Dravid (12000 at an average of 53.09) became the third player after Sachin Tendulkar (14509) and Ricky Ponting (12333) to aggregate 12,000 runs or more in Tests.
# Ishant Sharma (23) has recorded his highest innings against South Africa, bettering the 14 not out at Kanpur in April 2008.
# Dale Steyn completed 50 wickets in 10 Tests in 2010 -- 51 at an average of 23.00. He is the third bowler to capture 50 wickets or more this year, joining Graeme Swann (62) and James Anderson (52).
# Steyn, for the second time in a calendar year, bagged 50 wickets. He had captured 74 wickets at 20.01 in 13 Tests in 2008.
# Dhoni has amassed 693 at an average of 43.31 in 12 Tests in 2010 -- the highest runs' tally recorded by him in a calendar year, surpassing the 633 (average 35.16) in 12 Tests in 2008.
# Dhoni's run-aggregate of 2869 at an average of 40.98 in 52 Tests, including four hundreds and 20 fifties, as wicketkeeper is an Indian record, eclipsing the 2759 (average 27.04), including two hundreds and twelve fifties, in 88 Tests.
# India have posted 300 or more in at least one innings of their 25 consecutive Tests -- their sequence commenced against Australia at Bangalore two years ago. The record is held by Australia with scores of 300 or more in 34 consecutive Tests between 2001 and 2004.
