Published: Aug 17, 2016, 05:29 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 17, 2016, 07:17 PM (IST)
The third Test between Sri Lanka and Australia at Colombo was full of twists and turns. Host Australia had already lost last two Tests, they were under pressure of suffering from another whitewash in Asia. Batting first, Sri Lanka found themselves at 26 for 5, when Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva added 211 runs and ensured good total on board. After the fall of both of these players from the Lankan side put up 355 and in reply, Australian batsmen powered by Shaun Marsh and Steve Smith‘s century, managed a 24-run lead.
In the second innings, Sri Lanka bounced back with a century from young Kaushal Silva. Sri Lanka set Australia a target of 324 and the visitors suffered another collapse, handing hosts a 163-run victory. Sri Lanka registered their first whitewash against Australia. Abhishek Kumar is once again back with his bag of interesting statistics. Here are 21 interesting statistical highlights from this eventful match.
1. On the Day 1, Sri Lanka were five down for just 26 runs. This is second their lowest score at the loss of fifth wicket in Tests and their lowest of 18 for five came against New Zealand in March 1984 at Kandy.
2. Chandimal and de Silva added 211 runs in between them. This is the third such instance in Tests history when a pair had the century stand between them after being five down under 30 runs. First one came by an Indian pair — Vijay Hazare and Dattu Phadkar (105 runs for sixth wicket) against England at Leeds in June 1952 and second one was by South African pair Jonty Rhodes and Brian McMilan (117 runs for sixth wicket) against England at Leeds in August 1998.
3. The 211-run stand between Chandimal and de Silva was also the highest sixth wicket partnership for Sri Lanka in Tests after being five down for less than 50 runs. This Sri Lankan pair also became the second pair in Test to have added 150 plus runs after losing first five for less than 50 runs. The first pair to do so was Abdul Razzaq and Inzamam-ul-Haq (216 runs for sixth wicket) against West Indies at Georgetown in 2000.
4. The partnership of 211 runs between Chandimal and de Silva is the second highest by any Sri Lankan pair for sixth wicket at home. Overall highest partnership for sixth wicket on Sri Lankan soil is held by Jeff Crowe and Richard Hadlee of unbeaten 246 – run stand back in April 1987. The 211-run partnership is also the second highest for any Sri Lankan pair for sixth wicket and highest is held by Mahela Jayawardene and Prasanna Jayawardene when they put up 351 runs against India at Ahmedabad in November 2009. ALSO READ: Sri Lanka whitewash Australia; Twitter erupts
5. David Warner become the fourth Test batsman to hit six off the first ball of any team’s innings after Aravinda de Silva, Graeme Smith and Chris Gayle. Warner also become the fifth Australian Test batsman to start his innings with a first ball-six. The others were Tim Wall, Ron Archer, Greg Chappell and Brad Haddin.
6. The partnership of 246 runs between Marsh and Smith for second wicket is highest by any Australian pair in Sri Lankan soil and second highest overall. The highest is held by Pakistan pair Azhar Ali and Mohammad Hafeez for adding 287 runs for second wicket back at the same venue in June 2012. This partnership of 246 runs was also their second highest for any pair in Sri Lankan soil and the highest is held by Mike Hussey and Shaun Marsh for 258 runs for fourth wicket at Pallekele back in September 2011.
7. Shaun Marsh averages 78.60 in Tests in Sri Lanka and this is the second best by an Australian batsman, who has played more than two matches in the island nation. The best average for an Australian batsman in Sri Lanka with a minimum of 3 Tests, is 92.60 and is held by Mike Hussey.
8. Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon conceded 233 runs in this Test, which is the second most by a non-Asian bowler in Tests in Sri Lanka after Nicky Boje of South Africa, who conceded 236 runs at Galle in 2004.
9. Total of 301 runs were scored by Sri Lankan batsman for sixth wicket in this Test, which is the first instance of a team’s sixth wicket adding more than 300 runs against Australia by beating previous highest of 298 by an Indian pair, Ravi Shastri and Dilip Vengsarkar at Mumbai in October 1986.
10. De Silva became first Sri Lankan to have scored century and a fifty while batting at number seven or lower in a Tests and 12th overall.
11. Herath’s match winning bowling figure of 13 for 145 in this Test is his sixth 10-wicket haul. He is now joint eighth in the list after Muttiah Muralitharan (22 10W), Shane Warne (10 10W), Richard Hadlee (9 10W), Anil Kumble (8 10W), Sydney Barnes (7 10W), Clarrie Grimmett (7 10W), Dennis Lillee (7 10W), Imran Khan (6 10W). Also, Herath’s six 10-wicket hauls came against all different teams.
12. Herath picked seven wickets in the fourth innings of this match and claimed his 26th five wicket haul in Tests which is the seventh most by any bowler in Tests.
13. Herath scalped 13-wickets in this match. This is the most number of wickets taken by any Sri Lankan bowler in a Test against Australia. He broke the previous record of Muralitharan’s 11 wickets at Galle in 2004.
14. This was also fifth instance of Herath taking seven wickets in a Test innings. This is most by a any left-arm bowler. Herath broke the previous best record of four seven-wicket haul of Derek Underwood.
15. This is sixth 10-wicket haul by Herath and makes him joint most 10-wicket haul holder along with Underwood in Tests. He also became the only bowler to take 10-wicket haul in a Test after the age of 36 and he has done that twice so far.
16. Out of 60 Australian wickets in this series, spinners took 54, which is the most in a three-match Test series. READ MORE: Watch Kusal Mendis take a stunning catch to dismiss Shaun Marsh
17. Herath scalped 28-wickets in this series and become the joint highest wicket taker in a Test series between Sri Lanka and Australia with Muralitharan, who took same the number of wickets in 2004 series.
18. Australian pacer Mitchell Starc grabbed 24 wickets in this series. This is the second most number of wickets taken by an Australian bowler and most by any overseas pacer in a Test series in Sri Lanka. Warne has most number of wickets to his name in a Test series in Sri Lanka with 26 wickets in 2004. Also, Starc’s 24 wicket is second join most wickets taken by an overseas bowler in a Test series in Sri Lanka with Yasir Shah, who took same the number of wickets in 2015.
19. This is Sri Lanka’s first series win against Australia in Tests since 1999 and their first ever whitewash victory against them. Also, this is the first instance of Sri Lanka winning more than one Tests in a series against Australia.
(Abhishek Kumar is a cricket devotee currently staffing with Criclife.com. He can be followed on Twitter @abhik2593 and on Facebook at abhicricket.kumar)
