Statistical highlights: India vs SA, 2nd Test, Day 3

Statistical highlights of the third day's play in the second Test between India [ Images ] and South Africa [ Images ] at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata [ Images ] on Tuesday.

# India, with 643 for six wickets declared, established a record for the highest total in India-South Africa Tests -- the previous best being India's 627 at Chennai in March 2008.

# India's total of 643 for six wickets declared is their second highest at Eden Gardens -- their highest being the 657 for seven wickets declared against Australia [ Images ] in March 2001.

# Four Indian players (Sehwag, Tendulkar, Laxman and Dhoni) posted hundreds in the same Test innings for the second time -- the first instance being the 2007 Mirpur Test against Bangladesh when Dinesh Karthik [ Images ] 129, Wasim Jaffer [ Images ] 139 (retired hurt), Rahul Dravid [ Images ] 129 and Sachin Tendulkar [ Images ] 122 not out -- had recorded centuries.

# The Kolkata Test has recorded six centuries -- the first instance in any Test between India and South Africa.

# Mahendra Singh Dhoni [ Images ] (132 not out) registered his highest and first century against South Africa.  

# Dhoni's aforesaid unbeaten knock is his highest in India, surpassing the 110 against Sri Lanka [ Images ] at Ahmedabad [ Images ] in November 2009.

# Dhoni posted his first century at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He is also the first wicketkeeper to score four centuries in Tests for India.

# The unbroken seventh-wicket 259-run partnership between Laxman and Dhoni is India's highest for the seventh wicket in Tests, surpassing the 235 between Ravi Shastri and Syed Kirmani against England [ Images ] at Mumbai [ Images ] in November 1984.

# The aforesaid partnership is India's highest at Eden Gardens, bettering the 101 between Mohammad Azharuddin [ Images ] and Roger Binny against Pakistan in February 1987.

# VVS Laxman's [ Images ] outstanding knock of 143 not out is his highest against South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

# The aforesaid innings is Laxman's first century under Dhoni's captaincy, bettering the 64 against Australia at Nagpur in November 2008.

# Except Mohammad Azharuddin, Laxman recorded hundreds under all captains he played against.

# Laxman posted his first hundred against South Africa -- his 15th in Tests. His previous best knock against South Africa was 89 at Port Elizabeth in November 2001.

# Laxman became the first player to complete 1,000 runs at Eden Gardens, aggregating 1041 (ave.94.63) in nine Tests, including four hundreds and three fifties.

# Gavaskar is the only Indian to aggregate 1,000 runs at two venues -- 1122 (ave.56.10), including five hundreds, in 11 Tests at Wankhede Stadium and 1018 (ave.59.88), including three hundreds, in 12 Tests at Chepauk, Chennai.

#  Amit Mishra's [ Images ] 28 off 38 balls is his highest knock in India and the second best overall, next only to the 50 against Bangladesh at Chittagong last month.