On the first day of the opening Test of the three-match Test series between the hosts India and the visitors South Africa, the Indian openers dominated before the rain stopped the day.
After winning the toss at the morning, Indian captain Virat Kohli decided to bat first. Before the rain-interruption, India managed to score 202 runs without losing any wicket.
Brief Scores: India – 202/0 (Rohit Sharma 115*, Mayank Agarwal 84*)
Here are some of the statistical highlights of the day:
(Players’ stats) – India
Rohit Sharma
i) Rohit Sharma registered his sixth consecutive 50+ scores in home Test (since 2016).
- It is the joint-most number of successive 50+ scores in the home Test by an Indian batsman. Former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid also registered six straight 50+ scores in the home Test from 1997 to 1998.
ii) The opening batsman Rohit Sharma is batting on 115 runs.
- Rohit Sharma is the first Indian opening batsman to score at least one century in each international format (Test, ODI and T20I).
- Rohit Sharma is the only second Indian opener to hit a century against South Africa in the first innings of a Test match. Wasim Jaffer was the first Indian opener to hit a century in the first innings of a Test match against South Africa. In the first innings of the Cape Town Test in January 2007, Indian opening batsman Jaffer scored 116 runs.
iii) At the stumps of the opening day of this Test match, Rohit Sharma has the 98.22 Test batting average at home.
- Playing a minimum of 10 Test innings at home, it is the joint highest Test batting average. The legendary Australian batsman Sir Donald Bradman also had the home Test batting average of 98.22. He scored 4,322 runs in 50 home Test innings.
Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal
i) Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Mayank Agarwal have provided the unbroken 202 runs partnership.
- It is the second time when the Indian batsmen put a 200+ partnership in the first innings of a Test match against South Africa. During the Bloemfontein Test in November 2001, Indian batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag put the 220 runs partnership for the fifth wicket.
- It is the third time when the Indian openers put a 200+ partnership in a Test innings against South Africa.
Indian openers with 200+ Test partnerships against South Africa
| Partners | Partnership runs | Venue | Year |
| Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag | 218 | Kanpur | 2004 |
| Wasim Jaffer and Virender Sehwag | 213 | Chennai | 2008 |
| Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma | 202* | Visakhapatnam | 2019 |