Opener Murali Vijay cracked a fluent 144 as India put up a solid batting display to take the honours on the opening day of the 2nd test against Australia by reaching a comfortable 311 for four here today.

Statistical highlights on the opening day of India vs Australia 2nd test:

# Murali Vijay became the first opening visiting batsman to record a century in the first innings of a Test match at Gabba, Brisbane, outstripping West Indian, MC Carew’s 83 in 1968-69.

# Vijay became the seventh Indian opener to post a hundred in a Test match in Australia, joining Sunil Gavaskar (5), Vinoo Mankad (2), Virender Sehwag (2), VVS Laxman (one), Ravi Shastri (one) and Krishnamachari Srikkanth (one)

# Sourav Ganguly (144 in December 2003) and Vijay jointly share a record for the highest individual knock by an Indian player in a Test match at Gabba, Brisbane. Sunil Gavaskar – 113 in December 1977 and ML Jaisimha – 101 in January 1968 – are the two other Indian batsmen to register centuries at this venue.

# With 296 runs at an average of 98.66, Vijay is the leading run-getter in the current series, better than Virat Kohli’s tally of 275 (ave.91.66), including two centuries.

# Vijay became the 34th Indian batsman to complete his 2,000 runs in Tests – his aggregate being 2002 (ave.40.04) in 29 Tests.

# Vijay’s aforesaid hundred is his fifth – his fourth vs Australia. He has made three fifty-plus consecutive innings for the first time – 53 & 99 at Adelaide and 144 at Brisbane.

# Ajinkya Rahane has recorded his sixth Test fifty – his second vs Australia. His unbeaten 75 is his highest Test score vs Australia, eclipsing the 72 at Adelaide in the first Test of the series.

# Mahendra Singh Dhoni is leading India in the 29th overseas Test, overtaking Sourav Ganguly’s 28.

# India have amassed 311 for four. This is their first total of 300 on the first day of a Test match at Gabba. The said total is the fifth occasion when a score of 300 or more has been registered by India on the first day of a Test match in Australia.

# India have become the second team to manage 300 on the first day of a Test match at Brisbane after West Indies’ 359/7 in the tied Test in 1960-61

# For the first time in a Test match, India opted to bat after winning the toss at Brisbane.

# Dhawan and Vijay were involved in a stand of 56 – India’s first fifty-plus partnership for the opening wicket overseas after 35 innings.