India v Sri Lanka, 2017: 3rd Test, Day 3 – Statistical Highlights

The Sri Lanka batsman fought back well on the 3rd day thanks to centuries from their captain Dinesh Chandimal and former skipper Angelo Mathews. The pair frustrated the Indian bowlers who didn’t gain much support from the fielders with the dropped chances. The pair batted out without losing a wicket in the opening session. However, the home side returned well with five wickets in the last one hour to reduce the Lankans to 356/9 at stumps with Chandimal unbeaten on 147.

Here are the stats and numbers from Sri Lanka’s fight back in the Delhi Test match:

2 – Only the 2nd time in India-Sri Lanka Test matches that captains of both the side scored hundreds in the same game. Kumar Sangakkara and MS Dhoni scored hundreds in the 2009 Test match in Brabourne which also started on 2nd December.

4 – Number of times Dinesh Chandimal batted for over 300 balls in a Test innings since the start of 2016 with three of those coming in 2017 only. These are the most number of 300+ ball Test innings for any player in this period. Azhar Ali had three such innings since the start of 2016.

37 – Angelo Mathews’ hundred in this game is his first in 37 Test innings and 20 Test matches. This was his 8th hundred with the last three coming against India. This is also his maiden Test ton in India as his previous highest 99 in 2009 in Mumbai, where he got run out trying for the 100th run.

80 – Innings Dinesh Chandimal needed for scoring his 10th century in Test cricket. These are the fewest innings played by a Sri Lankan player for scoring their 10th Test hundred. Thilan Samaraweera scored his 10th century in his 84th innings.

147* – Chandimal’s unbeaten 147 is the highest individual Test score for a Sri Lankan captain in India. He went past Kumar Sangakkara’s 137 in 2009 in Mumbai. The 147 is also the 2nd highest for a Sri Lankan captain in Tests against India after Sangakkara’s 219 in 2010 in Colombo (SSC).

390 – The match aggregate of 390 runs by captains in this Test so far is the highest in an India-Sri Lanka Test match. The 2010 Colombo (SSC) Test saw 337 runs scored in the game by captains of India and Sri Lanka. The previous Test in Nagpur had 331 runs scored by Kohli and Chandimal in the game, the 2nd highest match aggregate by captains in an Ind-SL Test before the ongoing match.

476 – The Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal’s partnership which lasted 476 balls is the longest for any pair against India in Asia since Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla’s 641-ball stand in the 2010 Nagpur Test match. Mathew-Chandiaml’s 476-ball is the biggest against India since the 738-ball effort by Brendon McCullum and BJ Watling.