Statistical highlights from the first day’s play of the first Test between Sri Lanka and West Indies in Galle
Shiva Jayaraman14-Oct-20151:38
By The Numbers – Karunaratne, Chandimal dazzle
2 Centuries by Dimuth Karunaratne in Tests before this match. Karunaratne has made 1406 runs at an average of 36.05, and has six fifties in addition to his three Test hundreds.120 The previous highest by a Sri Lanka opener against West Indies in Tests, scored by Malinda Warnapura in Guyana in 2008. Karunaratne’s 135* in this innings is now the highest. Karunaratne’s century is only the third by a Sri Lanka opener against West Indies, the previous one being Warnapura’s ton.2001 The previous instance when 250 or fewer runs were scored, and two or fewer wickets were lost, after more than 80 overs were bowled in a day in Galle. On that occasion , too, Sri Lanka batted first and ended the first day at 221 for 2. Overall there have been only five such instances in Tests in Sri Lanka with the previous one coming in 2012 at the P Sara Oval where New Zealand made 223 for 2, also on the first day.5 Fifty-plus scores by Dinesh Chandimal in 2015, including his 72* in this innings; the most by the batsman in a calendar year. Chandimal has made 593 runs in 2015 – his best year with the bat in Tests so far – at an average of 49.41 with one hundred and four fifties. Overall, he has 1527 Test runs at an average of 46.27, with four hundreds and nine fifties. Chandimal’s 72* against West Indies was his third consecutive fifty-plus score in Galle. He scored 59 and 162* in his previous Test here, against India. He has made 535 runs at an average of 76.42 at this venue.2001 The last and the only time before this innings that Sri Lanka had a century stand for their third wicket in Tests against West Indies. On that occasion, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara had added 162 runs at the same venue.0 Number of fifty-plus opening stands for Sri Lanka in 14 Test innings in 2015 prior to this match. They had averaged just 19.07 runs per partnership with a highest of 49 against Pakistan at the P Sara Oval. Before this Test, Sri Lanka and West Indies were the only teams without a fifty-plus opening partnership in Tests in 2015.25.80 Lahiru Thirimanne’s strike rate in his 62-ball innings of 16. There have been only six other instances when a Sri Lanka No. 3 has scored at a lower rate, in an innings of 50 or more balls. This was also the second-slowest Thirimanne had scored in an innings of 50 or more balls in Tests.1.95 Scoring rate of the stand between Karunaratne and Thirimanne – the second-slowest for Sri Lanka in a second-wicket stand of 100 or more deliveries. The slowest was the partnership between Jayawardene and Sangakkara against England at Old Trafford that came at a rate of 1.94 runs to the over.18.27 Kaushal Silva’s batting average in 11 innings since his last Test century, which came in the first innings of the Galle Test against Pakistan earlier this year. After the first innings of that Test he averaged 37.77, with 1171 runs in 31 innings including three centuries and seven fifties. Since that innings, he has made 201 runs, including two fifties.
