SA vs SL, 2020-21: 1st Test, Day 3 – South Africa’s record total, Faf du Plessis one short of 200 and more stats

South Africa earn an edge over Sri Lanka in Centurion after a strong batting effort led by Faf du Plessis during the 3rd day’s play. The home team put on 304 runs in the 70 overs they batted on Monday to finish with 621 and earn a lead of 225 runs. Du Plessis was the star of South African innings as he smashed 199 from only 274 balls before getting out to the debutant Wanindu Hasaranga in search of his maiden double hundred. Sri Lanka ended the day with 65/2 in their 2nd essay across the 12 overs they batted.

Here are all the statistical highlights from yet another day of run-feast at the SuperSport Park:

South Africa’s record total:

621/10 – The total of 621 is now the first-ever 600+ total for South Africa in Test cricket against Sri Lanka. Their previous highest Test total against the Lankans was 580/4 in the 2012 Cape Town Test. Bangladesh is the only side against which South Africa has not recorded a 600+ total in Test cricket thus far.

South Africa’s total of 621 is also the 2nd highest Test total which Sri Lanka has conceded while playing outside Asia. The highest is 671/4 by New Zealand in their 2nd innings of the 1991 Wellington Test match.

A big stand down the order:

133 – The partnership of 133 runs between Keshav Maharaj and Faf du Plessis is the highest for the 7th wicket for South Africa in Test cricket against Sri Lanka. The duo surpassed the 132-run stand between Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock in the 2002 Centurion Test.

This is also the highest partnership of South Africa for the 7th or lower wicket in Test cricket since Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock added 160 for the 7th wicket in the 2017 Wellington Test against New Zealand.

Faf @ 4000 runs:

4100 – Faf du Plessis completed 4000 runs in Test cricket when he went past his individual score of 99 on Monday. He is the 9th player to amass as many as 4000 Test runs for South Africa. Faf is also the 10th player to smash 10 or more hundreds in Test cricket for the Proteas.

Karunaratne gets bowled twice:

1 – Dimuth Karunaratne became the first Sri Lankan captain to be dismissed ‘bowled’ twice while opening the batting in a Test match. He is also the first opening batsman in Test cricket to be dismissed ‘bowled’ twice while leading the team since Andrew Strauss against West Indies in the 2009 Bridgetown Test.

Du Plessis falls short of a double ton:

2 – Faf du Plessis became only the 2nd South African to be dismissed on ‘199’ in Test cricket. Dean Elgar became the first such player during the 2017 Potchefstroom Test against Bangladesh.

Overall, Du Plessis is the 11th player to be dismissed in Test cricket on 199 while two others ended unbeaten 199. Elgar and Faf are also the first set of players in a Test match playing XI with the highest individual Test score of 199.

Shanaka recreates Jayasuriya’s feat:

2 – Dasun Shanaka became only the 2nd Sri Lankan with the treble of scoring a fifty, picking 2+ wickets in an innings and take 2+ catches in an innings of the same Test match. Sanath Jayasuriya was the first Sri Lankan with the treble which he did against South Africa in 1998 also at Centurion’s SuperSport Park.

Debutants shine with the ball:

2014 – Sipmala and Hasaranga are the first pair of debutants to claim 4-wicket hauls in the same Test since John Nyumbu and Dane Piedt since the 2014 Harare Test between Zimbabwe and South Africa.

4/171 – The 171 runs conceded by Wanindu Hasaranga are the 3rd most during a 4-wicket haul on Test debut. Jason Krejza took 8/215 against India in the 2008 Nagpur Test while Upul Chandana ended with figures of 6/179 against Pakistan in the 1999 Dhaka Test. Overall, the 171 runs conceded by Hasaranga are the 7th most by any player in an innings on Test debut.