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Stats: Vijay completes 2,000 Test runs; Dhoni overtakes Ganguly

Last updated on: December 17, 2014 18:10 IST

Murali Vijay of India celebrates scoring a century with team mate Ajinkya Rahane during day one of the 2nd Test match at The Gabba. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Opener Murali Vijay scored a fluent 144 as India took the honours on the opening day of the second Test against Australia, posting a healthy 311 for 4 by stumps, at the Gabba on Wednesday.

It was his fifth Test century, and fourth against the Aussies.

Read on for statistical highlights from the day's play in Brisbane.

Murali Vijay became the first opening visiting batsman to record a century in the first innings of a Test at the Gabba, Brisbane, outstripping West Indian, M C Carew's 83 in 1968-69.

# He is the seventh Indian opener to post a hundred in a Test in Australia, joining Sunil Gavaskar (5), Vinoo Mankad (2), Virender Sehwag (2), VVS Laxman (1), Ravi Shastri (1) and Krishnamachari Srikkanth (1)

# Sourav Ganguly (144 in December 2003) and Vijay jointly share a record for the highest individual knock by an Indian player in a Test at Gabba, Brisbane. Gavaskar - 113 in December 1977 and M L Jaisimha - 101 in January 1968 - are the two other Indian batsmen to register centuries at the venue.

# With 296 runs, at an average of 98.66, Vijay is the leading run-getter in the current series, better than Virat Kohli's tally of 275 (ave.91.66), including two centuries.

Murali Vijay bats during Day 1 of the second Test against Australia at The Gabba. Photograph: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Vijay is the 34th Indian batsman to complete 2,000 runs in Tests - his aggregate being 2002 (ave.40.04) in 29 Tests.

# His aforesaid hundred is his fifth - his fourth versus Australia. He has scored three fifty-plus consecutive innings for the first time - 53 & 99 at Adelaide and 144 at Brisbane.

# Ajinkya Rahane recorded his sixth Test fifty, his second against Australia. His unbeaten 75 is his highest Test score versus Australia, eclipsing the 72 at Adelaide in the first Test of the series.

# Mahendra Singh Dhoni is leading India in the 29th overseas Test, overtaking Sourav Ganguly's 28.

# India amassed 311 for four. This is their first total of 300 on the first day of a Test at The Gabba. The said total is the fifth occasion when a score of 300 or more has been registered by India on the first day of a Test in Australia.

Shane Watson lets out a scream in frustration on Day 1 of the second Test. Photograph: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

India is the second team to put up 300 on the first day of a Test at Brisbane after the West Indies' 359/7 in the tied Test in 1960-61.

# For the first time in a Test, India opted to bat after winning the toss at Brisbane.

# Dhawan and Vijay were involved in a stand of 56 - India's first fifty-plus partnership for the opening wicket overseas after 35 innings.

Murali Vijay celebrates after completing his century on Day 1 of the second Test against Australia at the Gabba. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Vijay is the first Indian opener to post three fifty-plus innings in a row in Tests versus Australia in Australia. He became the fifth Indian batsman to record three consecutive fifties in a series outside the sub-continent. Gavaskar (vs W.Indies, 1970-71), Madhav Apte (vs W.Indies, 1953), Gautam Gambhir (vs South Africa, 2010) and SS Das (vs Zimbabwe, 2001) had achieved the feat earlier.