A look at the stats highlights of first day's play of the third Test between India and Sri Lanka at the PSS in Colombo.

- An Indian captain has won a Toss for the first time at Colombo, PSS. In the 1985-86 and 1993-94 Tests at this venue, India had lost the tosses.

- For the first time in his Test career, Gautam Gambhir has posted three successive fifty-plus innings 56 & 74 against Sri Lanka at Galle and 72 at Colombo, PSS.

- Gambhir's innings is the highest individual score by an Indian opener at Colombo, PSS, eclipsing Krish Srikkanth's 64 in 1985-86.

- Gambhir's aggregate of 284 at an average of 56.80 including three fifties is the second best after Sehwag's tally of 310.

- Gambhir's third fifty against Sri Lanka is his sixth in Test cricket.

- Virender Sehwag, with his 21, took his run-aggregate in 2008 to 968 in 8 Tests (14 innings) at an average of 74.46, including three centuries and two fifties.

- Sehwag became the first batsman to aggregate 300 runs in the present series - 310 at an average of 77.50 at a strike rate of 91.98, including one century and one fifty.

- Sehwag's aggregate of 310 is a record by an Indian batsman in a Test series against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, bettering Sachin Tendulkar's tally of 290 runs at an average of 96.67, including two centuries, in only two Tests in 1997-98.

- Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir became the first Indian opening pair to put on three successive fifty-plus stands against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka - 167 & 90 at Galle and 51 at Colombo, PSS.

- The 51-run partnership between Gautam Gambhir & Sehwag is their 11th fifty-plus for the first wicket in Test Cricket. In partnership aggregates for the first wicket, the pair has aggregated 1371 runs in 24 innings (15 Tests) at an average of 59.20 - the best by an Indian opening pair in Test Cricket (minimum qualification: 1000 runs)

- Rahul Dravid has averaged 16.00 in the series so far - 80 runs in five innings without a fifty.

- After posting 111 against South Africa at Chennai in March 2008, Dravid is without a fifty in his last 9 Test innings.

- Dravid's batting average (33.85) this year so far is the worst in his Test career, eclipsing his 35.64 in 2007. The only other year when his average fell below 40 - was in 1996 - his debut year.

- After posting 93 against Australia at Perth in January 2008, Dravid is without a fifty in his last eight innings away from home.

- Sachin Tendulkar became the third player after two Australians, Steve Waugh (168) and Allan Border (156) to have appeared in 150 Tests or more.

- Tendulkar has aggregated 81 runs at an average of 16.20 in the series.

- Sourav Ganguly (35) posted his highest score in the series, bettering his 23 at Colombo, SSC.

- Ganguly has averaged 15.60 in the series - 78 in five innings.

- After making 98 not out at Kandy in 2001, Ganguly is without a fifty in his last ten innings against Sri Lanka.

- In 9 Tests this year, Ganguly has made 441 runs at an average of 29.40 including four fifties.

- Apart from Sehwag (77.50) and Gambhir (56.80), VVS Laxman is the only Indian batsman to have averaged 30 in the series (30.80) - 154 in five innings.

- Ajantha Mendis has dismissed VVS Laxman in five successive innings in this series.

- After missing 43 Tests between October 30, 2004 and August 2, 2008, Parthiv Patel has replaced Dinesh Karthik. Patel had last played in October 2004 against Australia at Nagpur.

- Ajantha Mendis has claimed 23 wickets at 17.26 runs apiece. He is the leading wicket-taker in the series. His tally is a record by a Sri Lankan bowler in the first three Tests, bettering D S de Silva's tally of 19 wickets at 23.95 runs apiece.

- Mendis' figures of 5 for 56 are his second best in his brief-Test career - his second five-wicket haul - his career-best being 6 for 117 at Galle in the second Test of the present series.

- Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma put on 51 runs, India's best for the tenth wicket against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, outstripping the 35 between Laxman and Ishant at Colombo, SSC in the first Test of the present series.

- Zaheer's innings is now the highest by No.11 batsman for India against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. Overall, the said innings is the second best by No.11 batsman for India against Sri Lanka, next only to Harbhajan Singh's 40 not out off 51 balls at Ahmedabad in 2005-06.

- Zaheer's innings is also the highest by No.11 batsman against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, eclipsing Pakistan's Wasim Akram's 19 at Kandy in 1985-86.

- Zaheer's 32 is his second best score against Sri Lanka, next only to his 45 at Colombo, SSC in August 2001