India v Sri Lanka, 2017: 1st Test, Day 4 – Statistical Highlights

Unless either of the teams decides to go all out aggressive, the first of the 3-match Test series between India and Sri Lanka is set to end in a draw. After Team India was bowled out for 172 on a lively wicket, Sri Lanka took a lead of 122 runs when the conditions got easier for the batsmen. The Indian openers made most of the flattened out pitch to score runs at a healthy pace and as a result, they ended the 4th day at 171/1 with a 49-run 2nd innings lead.

All the stats and numbers that recorded in this game so far:

3 – Number of instances when Indian pacers bagged all the ten wickets in an innings in a Test match at home. Indian pacer bagged all the ten wickets in an innings against West Indies in 1981 in Ahmedabad and against England in 1983 in Mumbai.

3 – Number of occasions when Sri Lanka took a first inning lead in a Test match in India. The previous two instances were also in the first match of their last two Test tours to India – in 2005 in Chennai (1 run) and in 20099 in Ahmedabad (334 runs).

3 – With five ducks across all the three International formats in 2017, Virat Kohli became the 2nd Indian captain after Kapil Dev (1983) to bag five ducks in a calendar year.

6 – KL Rahul became the 6th Indian to be dismissed on the very first ball of a Test match when he was caught behind off Suranga Lakmal on the first day.

9 – India spin bowlers bowled a total of nine overs in the first innings. These are the fewest number of over spinners have bowled for India in the first innings in Test cricket. Indian spinners bowled 16 overs against West Indies in 1987 in Delhi.

39y 242d – At the age of 39 years and 242 days, Rangana Herath became the 3rd oldest visiting player to score a Test fifty in India. Bert Sutcliffe at the age of 41 years and 122 days in 1965 and Geoff Boycott in 1981 at the age of 41 years and 63 days scored a fifty in India after turning 40.

67 – Rangana Herath’s 67 is the highest individual Test score by a Sri Lankan after turning 39. Somachandra de Silva scored 61 against New Zealand in 1983 after turning 40.

122 – The lead of 122 runs is the 2nd most that India wiped out in the 2nd innings without losing a wicket. Indian openers went past the 1st innings lead of 132 runs that New Zealand managed in the Mohali Test in 1999. The overall record is 365 by New Zealand against West Indies back in 1972.

166 – The 166-run opening stand between Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul is the highest for the first wicket in the 2nd innings for India since Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag’s 182 against Australia in Mohali, 2008. This is also the first 100-run opening partnership for India in 2nd innings since Gambhir-Sehwag’s 137 against South Africa in Centurion, 2010.

172 – India’s first innings total of 172 is their 2nd lowest against Sri Lanka at home. They were bowled out for 167 in 2005 in Chennai.