Gambhir became the second Delhi cricketer after Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi to score a Test hundred at the Kotla. Pataudi has scored two hundreds at the Kotla (203* vs Eng in 1963-64 & 113 vs NZ, in 1964-65).

Gambhir also became the second Indian to score back to back hundreds against Australia in Tests. Vijay Hazare had scored 116 and 145 in each innings vs Australia in Adelaide in 1947-48, while Gambhir scored 104 in the second innings at Mohali before scoring a hundred in this innings.

The Indian eleven for this Test is the most experienced side to play Test cricket. The side includes Sachin Tendulkar (153 mts), Anil Kumble (132 mts), Rahul Dravid (128 mts), Sourav Ganguly (112 mts) and V.V.S. Laxman (99 mts). Since the recent 1st Test vs Sri Lanka in Colombo (SSC), India have taken over the mantle from the World XI (vs Australia in Sydney, October 2005) as the most experienced side in Test cricket.

This is the 30th Test match played at the Kotla. The ground became the second Indian venue to host 30 or more Tests. Only Eden Gardens (35 Tests) has hosted more Tests than the Kotla.

It is the 10th time that India have decided to play two genuine leg-spinners in a Test match. Seven of those times, they have done so on home soil. The combination of Kumble and Hirwani has featured together in four Tests.

Virender Sehwag now has 1179 runs in 2008. He equals South African Graeme Smith as the highest run scorer of the year so far. The only other time Sehwag crossed thousand runs in a calendar year was in 2004.

India’s poor run with first-wicket partnerships at the Kotla continues. The last time the Indian openers registered a 50-run stand here, was when Sadagoppan Ramesh and V.V.S. Laxman put up 88 vs Pakistan in 1998-99.

Tendulkar now has 90 scores of 50 or more (51 fifties and 39 hundreds). He equals Allan Border (63 fifties and 27 hundreds).

Tendulkar has now been involved in 68 century partnerships. He equals Ricky Ponting. Only Rahul Dravid (72) has been involved in more century stands.

Gambhir reached his century with a six. It was the eleventh instance of an Indian batsman reaching a hundred with a six. Seven other Indian cricketers — Polly Umrigar, Kapil Dev, Tendulkar, Mohammed Azharuddin, Dravid, Sehwag and Irfan Pathan — have done so before Gambhir.

Compiled by Mohandas Menon