Brisbane Test, Day 3: Records broken by Sundar and Thakur
Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur kept India's hopes alive in the ongoing Brisbane Test with a record partnership on Day 3. The duo took led an astounding fightback after the middle-order perished in the first half. Having put up a century stand, the two players registered a number of records as India came back in the hunt. We take a look at the same.
Sundar and Thakur brought back India in the hunt
In the first two sessions, the match tilted in Australia's favor as the visitors struggled on 186/6. However, Sundar and Thakur had other plans. The two lower-order batsmen added 123 runs for the seventh wicket that steadied India's ship. While Thakur fired a 67 off 115 balls (9 fours, 2 sixes), Sundar (62) grabbed eyeballs with his resilience.
A historic knock by Sundar
Although Thakur turned out to be the top-scorer in the Indian innings, Sundar played with more stability. His 144-ball 62 is now the third-highest score by an Indian number seven on Test debut. The elite tally is led by Indian legend Rahul Dravid, who registered 95 in his debut game against England (1996). Former player RG Nadakarni holds the second spot (68* vs NZ).
More records broken by Sundar
Sundar slammed his maiden half-century on his debut Test innings, after taking three wickets with the ball. With this, he has become the second Indian to register a 50+ score and take three-plus wickets (each in debut innings) after Dattu Phadkar (51 and 3/14 vs Australia, 1947/48). He is the fifth Indian to do so overall (each in either innings).
Some rare feats scripted by the duo
The last time India's number 7 (Sundar) and 8 (Thakur) scored 50+ in the same innings in an away Test (neither of them a wicketkeeper) was at Manchester in 1982 (Sandeep Patil 129* and Kapil Dev 65). This is also the first time that two Indian players have scored fifties and picked three wickets in a Test Down Under.
A historic 123-run stand by Sundar and Thakur
Both Thakur and Sundar played counter-attacking shots during their 123-run stand. This turned out to the third-highest 100+ seventh-wicket partnership for India in Australia. Interestingly, this is also the second-highest seventh-wicket partnership by a visiting team at the Gabba, Brisbane. The highest such stand is 144 by Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva and Ravi Ratnayeke in (1989).
