Windies vs Sri Lanka, 2018: 2nd Test – Statistical Highlights

Sri Lanka’s wait to win a Test series in Caribbean Islands will continue as the 2nd Test match in St Lucia ended in a draw which Lankans were expected to win post their fightback in the 2nd innings. Dinesh Chandimal’s gritty ton helped his team to post 253 in the first innings. The hosts were set towards a big total before they lost their last six wickets for 59 runs to be bowled out for 300. Contributions from middle and lower-order helped the Sri Lanka cricket team to set a target of 296 on the final day. However, rain permitted only 60.3 overs of Windies innings who were 147/5 before no more play was possible.

All the stats and numbers that were recorded during the 2nd Test match between Windies and Sri Lanka:

3 – Akila Dananjaya is only the 3rd spinner to open the bowling in the opposition’s first innings in a Test match played in West Indies since 1975. Australia’s Michael Beer in the 2012 Port of Spain Test and Mohammad Hafeez in the 2011 Test at the Providence opened the bowling in the Windies’ first innings.

5/72 – Kasun Rajitha’s match figures of 5/72 are the 3rd best for a Sri Lankan pacer of Test debut. Kosala Kuruppuarachchi took 7/85 against Pakistan in the 1986 Colombo Test while Lasith Malinga registered figures of 6/92 on his debut in the 2004 Darwin Test against Australia.

13/121 – Shannon Gabriel’s match figures of 13/121 are the best for any bowler in a Test match in West Indies. The previous best figures for any player in a Test in West Indies was 13/132 by Makhaya Ntini for South Africa in the 2005 Port of Spain Test. More numbers over Gabriel’s performance with the ball in the game.

19 – Number of wickets Windies’ opening bowlers Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach bagged in this Test. Jason Holder took the other wicket in Sri Lanka’s first innings. This is only the 8th instance of a team’s opening bowlers bagging 19 and more wickets in a Test. Last such instance was recorded by South Africa against England in the 1999 Johannesburg Test.

20 – The Windies pacers took all the 20 wickets to fall in this Test match (Gabriel 13, Roach 6 and Holder 1). This is only the 2nd instance in the last 15 years where Windies pacers took all 20 wickets in a Test. The last instance was against India in the 2006 Kingston Test.

33 – A total of 33 wickets fell during this Test match to pace bowlers which are the 2nd most in a Test match in West Indies since 2003. Pacers shared 34 wickets in the 2008 Kingston Test between Windies and Australia.

294 – Sri Lanka’s last six wickets added 294 runs in the 2nd innings after been reduced to 48/4. The 294 runs are joint-most Sri Lanka scored for their last six wickets in their 2nd innings of a Test match. They scored 294 runs after losing the 4th wicket against Pakistan in the 2nd innings of the 2013/14 Abu Dhabi Test.