Harbhajan first No.8 player to score two successive Test tons (Match highlights)

HYDERABAD - Harbhajan Singh is the first number eight player to register two successive centuries in Tests.

Harbhajan struck his maiden Test century in the first Test against New Zealand at Ahmedabad (115) and followed it up with an unbeaten 111 on the fourth day of the second Test here Monday.

Other match highlights:

India have posted two stands of 100-plus in their total of 472 - 160 for the opening wicket and 105 for the tenth, providing the second instance in Test cricket when century stands for the first and tenth wickets were posted in the same innings.

New Zealand had achieved the feat against Pakistan in 1972-73 - 159 for the opening wicket between Glenn Turner and Rodney Redmond and 151 for the tenth wicket between Brian Hastings and Richard Collinge.

The 105-run partnership between Harbhajan Singh and S. Sreesanth is the second 100-plus partnership for the tenth wicket by any pair against New Zealand. Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath were involved in a 114-run stand for Australia at Brisbane in November 2004.

McCullum and McIntosh put on 125 for the first wicket - New Zealand’s first century stand for the opening wicket since June 2004. Stephen Fleming and Mark Richardson had posted 163 against England at Nottingham in 2004.

Daniel Vettori (5/135) has claimed five wickets in an innings twice against India and 19 times in Tests.

Vettori has claimed 23 wickets in five Tests this year at an average of 35.69 - the highest by a New Zealander in 2010.

Brendon McCullum’s brilliant unbeaten 124 is his second Test century against India and the highest - his sixth in Tests.

In the 2008-09 Napier Test against India, McCullum had recorded 115 off 140 balls.

In the course of his unbeaten century knock, McCullum has completed his 3,000 runs in Tests, amassing 3066 (ave.36.50) in 54 Tests. He is the 11th player to complete 3,000 runs or more for New Zealand in Tests.

Sreesanth has taken 71 balls to record 24 - his longest in Tests, surpassing his 54-ball innings - an unbeaten 29 against West Indies at St. John’s in June 2006.

Harbhajan and Sreesanth have added 105 - India’s best for the tenth wicket against New Zealand and their third highest.

Harbhajan has registered his career-best all-round performance in a Test match - 111 not out + 4/76. He is the second Indian all-rounder to record the said feat against New Zealand. Vinoo Mankad had made 231 and bagged four for 65 in the second innings of the 1955-56 Madras Test.

Harbhajan’s tally of seven sixes in his unbeaten 111 is the highest by an Indian player against New Zealand and the second best by an Indian in Tests.

Navjot Singh Sidhu had recorded eight sixes during his innings of 124 against Sri Lanka at Lucknow in 1993-94. Virender Sehwag had also hit seven sixes during his innings of 293 against Sri Lanka at Mumbai last year.