Sri Lanka v Australia 2nd Test, Day 2 – Statistical Highlights

The way this Test match has been going thus far, we might have a result on the 3rd day as Sri Lankan bowlers ran through the Australian batting on day two and picked up 3 wickets in visiting team’s 2nd innings after bowling them out earlier in the day.

Four-wicket hauls from Rangana Herath and Dilruwan Perera including a hat-trick for the former bowled out Australia for a new lowest total of 106. Sri Lanka later were bowled out for 237 and took a mammoth lead of 412 runs. It just took 6 overs in the end for the hosts to pick Australia’s first 3 wickets as the World No.1 side was reeling at 25/3 in their 2nd essay needing another 388 runs to win with 3 days of play remaining. Here we look at all the stats and records recorded during the day’s play.

1 – For the first time in Test cricket, Sri Lanka has taken a lead of 400 or more in any innings.

2 – Rangana Herath became the 2nd Sri Lanka bowler to take a Test hat-trick. Nuwan Zoysa picked up a hat-trick against Zimbabwe in 1999.

Also check out – Sri Lanka v Australia 2nd Test, Day 2 – 5 Moments of the day

3 – Rangana Herath is only the 3rd left-arm spinner to take a Test hat-trick. The last one was England’s Johnny Briggs

5 – Mitchell Starc became only the 5th pacer in Test cricket to take 10-wicket match haul in Sri Lanka, 1st one at Galle. Starc became the first pacer to take 10-wicket haul since Mohammad Asif in 2006 at Kandy.

8 – Runs scored for opening wicket in this game, joint 2nd lowest in a Test where 4 opening stands were dismissed. Lowest is 2 runs during West Indies-India Test at Kingston in 2006.

9 – Number of hat-tricks recorded against Australia in Test cricket, most against any team. Next most is 6 against England.

6/50 – Mitchell Starc’s figures of 6/50 are 3rd best for visiting pacer and 7th best figures for any pacer in a Test innings in Sri Lanka. Mohammad Asif in 2006 at Kandy was the last pacer to take a 6-wicket haul in Sri Lanka in Tests.

11/94 – Mitchell Starc’s match figures of 11/94 are the 3rd best figures for a pacer in a Test in Sri Lanka. Previously, no Australia pacer picked more than 6 wickets before Starc in a Test in Sri Lanka.

21 – Number of wickets that fell on the 2nd day of this Test match. These are the 2nd most wickets accounted for in a day in a Tests in Asia. Highest is 22 wickets on the 3rd day in Sri Lanka-England match in 2001 at Colombo.

33 – Number of wickets that fell in first 2 days of this Test match. These are the most wickets fell in first two days in a Test in Asia. Highest is 32 wickets in India-South Africa Test at Nagpur last year.

Also read – SL v AUS, 2nd Test Day 2 Review: Defeat staring in the face of Australia

38y 139d – Rangana Herath is now the oldest player to take a Test hat-trick. Interestingly, he was part of the youngest Test hat-trick recorded by Abdul Razzaq.

106 – Australia’s total of 106 in the first innings is their lowest total in Tests against Sri Lanka. Previous lowest was 140 at Kandy in 2004.

1979 – Last Australian pacer to pick 10-wicket haul in the subcontinent was Geoff Dymock 12/166 vs India at Kanpur in 1979.

1985 – Last time before Mitchell Starc, a non-Asian pacer who took 2 five-wicket hauls in a Test in Asia was Neil Foster vs India at Chennai in 1985.

2005 – Australia lost their last 8 wickets for 52 runs in the first innings. Last time they lost their last 8 wickets for less than this after scoring more than 50 for the first two wickets was in 2005 against ICC Test XI.

2010 – Last time before Mitchell Starc, a non-Asian pacer who took a 10-wicket haul in a Test in Asia was Dale Steyn vs India at Nagpur in 2010.