Lokesh Rahul put behind a failed debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to register a Test hundred in only his second Test as India ended Day 3 in the fourth and final Test against Australia on 342 for 5 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.
Promoted to open the innings with Murali Vijay, the Karnataka batsman scored 110 and with skipper Virat Kohli, who was unbeaten on 140, guided India to 342 for 5 at stumps. In the course of his knock, Kohli obliterated many milestones. Check them out.
Virat Kohli and Lokesh Rahul were involved in a partnership of 141 -- an Indian record for the third wicket against Australia at the SCG, surpassing the 138 (unbroken) between Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in 2003-04.
# Rahul (110 off 262 balls) registered his first hundred in Tests.
# Suresh Raina registered his second duck against Australia, his seventh in Tests. It was his first golden duck in Tests.
# Rohit Sharma (53) registered his maiden fifty versus Australia in Tests, surpassing the 43 at Adelaide in December. He has two hundreds (both vs West Indies) and two fifties (one each vs New Zealand and Australia) to his credit in Tests.
# Kohli registered his 10th century in Tests – his sixth vs Australia. He is the first batsman to post three hundreds in consecutive innings as captain -- 115 & 141 at Adelaide and 140 not out at Sydney. He became the third skipper to register three hundreds in a Test series vs Australia -- the first two captains were David Gower and Brian Lara.
# His Test record as captain is outstanding, his aggregate being 396 in three innings at an average of 198.00. He became the third batsman to post four centuries in a Test series vs Australia in Australia. Herbert Sutcliffe had scored four in five Tests in 1924-25 and Wally Hammond four in five Tests in 1928-29.
# He remains the first batsman to record four hundreds in four Tests versus Australia in Australia. His superb aggregate of 639 runs (ave.106.50) is a record by any batsman against Australia in four Tests in Australia, eclipsing the 619 (ave.123.80) by Rahul Dravid in 2003-04.
# His aggregate is an Indian record in a Test series vs Australia and the fourth highest by an Indian player behind Sunil Gavaskar -- 774 (ave.154.80) vs West Indies in 1970-71; 732 (ave.91.50 in six Tests) vs West Indies in 1978-79 and Dilip Sardesai -- 642 (ave.80.25) in five Tests vs West Indies in 1970-71.
# Four hundreds each by Steven Smith and Kohli is the first instance when two batsmen registered four hundreds in the same rubber.
# Kohli has posted four centuries in a Test series. He became the second Indian batsman to post four hundreds in a Test series. Sunil Gavaskar had attained the distinction twice -- vs West Indies -- four in four Tests in the West Indies in his debut rubber in 1970-71 and four in six Tests in India in 1978-79.
# Kohli became the first number four batsman to post four hundreds in a Test series vs Australia in Australia.
# Seven hundreds by captains in a Test rubber is a new record.
