India vs South Africa Test series Stats Review: Rohit Sharma scales new heights as Test opener, Proteas sinking under Faf du Plessis and more

This was the first time that India whitewashed South Africa in a Test series. As it remains the big achievement that any team can aim for, India’s record at home in recent times is the talk of the town. They have won 11 consecutive Test series’. The biggest factor in India’s consistency at home is multiple players contributing and stepping up which is helping them destroying opposition teams.

Rohit Sharma established himself as a Test opener by the end of the series, Rahane showed his worth, Jadeja is now India’s No.1 Test all-rounder but Indian pacers were the real difference between the two sides.

South Africa have now lost 12 Tests under the leadership of Faf du Plessis which is the second most that they have lost under a captain. They have to re-think and re-build their team going ahead while India currently sit at the top with 240 points in the World Test Championship.

Let’s look at few records broken and created during the Ranchi Test.

Shahbaz Nadeem became the 296^th player to make a debut for India in Tests. He is also the sixth player to play in more than 100 First-Class matches before making his Test debut for India.

Rohit Sharma has now completed two centuries with a six in Tests which is the joint second most times by an Indian player. Moreover, he became the fifth Indian opener with two 150-plus scores in a Test series. Rohit Sharma is the only Indian player to complete a double ton in Tests with a six.

Rohit Sharma became the fifth Indian opener to score 500-plus runs in a Test series after Vinoo Mankand, Budhi Kunderan, Sunil Gavaskar (5) and Virender Sehwag. Moreover, he went past Mohammad Azharuddin’s tally of 388 runs (in 1996/97 in India) to become the highest run-scorer in a Test series against South Africa among Indians.

Rohit Sharma became only the fourth player to score a double century in both Tests and ODIs after Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Chris Gayle.

No player has now hit more sixes than Rohit Sharma in a Test series. Moreover, India hit 47 sixes in this Test series which is also a new record.

This was the first time since 1986 that two Mumbai batsmen added a double century stand for India in Tests. The last such pair to achieve the feat was Shastri-Vengsarkar in 1986 against Australia at Mumbai.

Umesh Yadav became the first player to have a strike rate of 300-plus in a Test innings of 10 or more balls.

Only Shahid Afridi took less innings than Rohit Sharma to hit 50 sixes in Test cricket.

More stats:

Umesh Yadav became the second pacer to take three or more wickets in five consecutive Test innings in India after Courtney Walsh.

Virat Kohli has now enforced follow-on eight times in Tests – the most by an Indian captain, eclipsing Mohammad Azharuddin who did it seven times.

India have now won 105 international matches under the captaincy of Virat Kohli – the second most under any Indian captain after MS Dhoni (178), going past Mohammad Azharuddin (104).

There were 65 sixes hit in the Test series – the joint most in any Test series alongside the 2013/14 Ashes hosted by Australia.