Sri Lanka v India 2017: 1st Test, Day 3 – Statistical Highlights

India closed on towards a 500-run lead by the end of the 3rd day after they decided to bat again despite taking a huge first-innings lead of 309 runs. Sri Lanka’s lower order managed to reduce the lead after Angelo Mathews fell for 81, with Sri Lanka still 395 runs behind India’s first innings total. Dilruwan Perera produced an unbeaten 92 batting along with the tail-enders frustrating the Indian bowlers before their innings closed shortly after the Lunch break. India scored 189/3 before the close of the day’s play with help of fifties from Abhinav Mukund and Virat Kohli after the rain halted the game for a brief period.

Here we look at all the stats and records created during the day’s play.

5 – Number of times including this game Virat Kohli has not enforced the follow-on in Tests. India had a chance to enforce follow-on during 6 occasions under his captaincy before this game but decided to bat again on 4 occasions. They won all those 4 Tests.

8 – Virat Kohli’s fifty in this innings is his first in 8 Test innings. His last fifty-plus score in this format was his double century against Bangladesh. He had six scores of below 20 in his last 7 innings.

17 – Innings Virat Kohli took to complete 1000 runs as Indian captain outside home in Test cricket; the fewest by any Indian player. Sachin Tendulkar needed 19 innings for scoring 1000 Test runs outside home as captain.

309 – India’s first innings lead of 309 runs in their 2nd highest lead from where they didn’t enforce the follow-on. India batted again in the 2007 Oval Test against England even after taking a 319-run first innings lead.

309 – India’s lead of 309 runs is their highest first-innings lead in a Test in Sri Lanka and their 4th highest overall. India’s previous highest 1st innings lead in Sri Lanka was 192 in 2015 also at Galle.

309 – The 309-run lead is the highest Sri Lanka have ever conceded in the first innings while batting second at home. The previous highest was 243 by Australia in 1983 as they bowled out Sri Lanka to 271 after posting 524 in their 1st innings. Pakistan (419 in 2000) and South Africa (327 in 1993) took 300+ first innings lead after Sri Lanka batted first in the game.

2212 – Number of days between Abhinav Mukund’s fifties in Test cricket. He scored his first and only fifty before this innings way back on July 8th, 2011 against Windies at Dominica.