Windies vs Sri Lanka, 2018: 3rd Test – Statistical Highlights

Sri Lanka recorded a historic win in the final Test as they levelled the 3-match series with a 4-wicket win against Windies to become the first Asian side to win a Test at Bridgetown. Sri Lanka conceded a crucial 50-run first innings lead before their stand-in skipper Suranga Lakmal led the team from front to bundle out the hosts for 93 in the 2nd innings. The home team captain Jason Holder took five wickets to reduce the Lankans to 81/6 while defending 143. An injured Kushal Perera came out to bat on day four and had an unbeaten 63-run 7th wicket stand with Dilruwan Perera to take their team over the line.

All the stats and numbers that were recorded during Sri Lanka’s series equalizer win in Barbados:

2 – Windies lost their 3rd wicket for 8 runs in the first innings of this Test and for 9 runs in the second innings. This is only the 2nd instance of a team losing their first three wickets inside 10 runs in both the innings of a Test. Zimbabwe were on the receiving end against New Zealand in the 2012 Napier Test.

2 – Only the 2nd time Sri Lanka have won a Test match in the last 30 years without both Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath in the playing XI. They defeated Bangladesh by 288 runs in the 2002 Colombo Test in the absence of both Muralitharan and Herath.

82 out of the 86 Test victories for Sri Lanka have come with one of Murali and Herath in their playing XI while the Bridgetown Test as the first away win among the 28 Tests without them both.

3 – Jason Holder is only the 3rd captain to score a fifty and take a 5-wicket haul in the same game and still end up on the losing side. Australia’s Monty Noble produced this double against England in the 1904 Sydney Test while Pakistan’s Imran Khan had done it against England at Leeds and Birmingham during the 1982 tour.

6.67 – Jason Holder’s bowling average in this Test is the best for any bowler in a Test match in West Indies. (Min: 8 wickets in the game) Lance Gibbs took 9/63 at an average of 7 against India in 1962 also in Bridgetown.

9/60 – Jason Holder’s match figures of 9/60 are the 2nd best bowling figures in a Test match for a Windies captain. Courtney Walsh took 13/55 against New Zealand in the 1995 Wellington Test.

Holder’s match figures are also the 3rd best by any captain in a losing cause in Test cricket. India’s Kapil Dev (10/135) and BS Bedi (10/194) ended up on the losing end against Windies in the 1983 Ahmedabad Test and against Australia in the 1977 Perth Test respectively despite bagging ten wickets in the game.

93 – The total of 93 by Windies in their 2nd innings of this Test is the lowest for any side against Sri Lanka outside Sri Lanka. This is the first instance when Sri Lanka bowled out a side under 100 in an away Test match.

Zimbabwe’s 102 in the 2004 Harare Test was the previous lowest total by any team against Sri Lanka outside Lanka. This is also the first time since 2010 that Sri Lanka bowled out their opposition under 100 in Test cricket.

93 – Windies’ total of 93 is their 3rd lowest total in Test cricket at home. They were bowled out for 47 against England in the 2004 Kingston Test and for 51 against Australia in the 1999 Port of Spain Test. This is also their lowest total since being bowled out on 47 by England in the 2004 Kingston Test.

226 – Aggregate runs scored by teams in this Test before losing their 5th wicket which is the 4th lowest aggregate in a Test for the first five wickets. The 1888 Lord’s Test between England and Australia the aggregate was 149 runs while the Sydney Test between the two sides in the same year witnessed 201 runs being scored for the first five wickets. The 1935 Test match between Windies and England also played at Bridgetown aggregated only 175 runs for the first five wickets by either side.