By the numbers: India in Sri Lanka

Blog Opinion

The Test series between Sri Lanka and India has come and gone, with the visitors emerging victorious after three tense Tests, so it's time to look back over the month and see what stats have emerged.

2-1 – Series result. A win for Sri Lanka in Galle, a win for India at the P. Sara Oval, and then a second win for the visitors at the Sinhalese Sports Club. Colombo makes a happy home for India.

4 – India's wait, in years. They last won a series overseas in 2011, against the West Indies. They waited 22 years for a series win in Sri Lanka, too.

393 – Highest team score. India recorded this in the second Test at the P. Sara Oval, with KL Rahul scoring a century and 70-odds coming from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

112 – Lowest team score. This also belonged to India, when they were removed by Rangana Herath in Galle. They only needed 176 to win the match, and chucked it away. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, were all out for under 200 twice in the series.

7/48 – Best figures. Herath claimed these in the aforementioned batting collapse in Galle. It was his only five-fer of the series, and he ended with 15 scalps overall.

21 – Most wickets. India spinner Ravi Ashwin was in superb form in the series, taking the most wickets at an average of 18.09. He claimed two five-fers, and one 10-wicket match haul.

4 – Ashwin v Sanga. The Sri Lanka veteran, who retired after the second Test, was removed in all four of his knocks by Ashwin. Bunny. Incidentally, Sangakkara made 18 in his final innings.

15.00 – Amit Mishra's average. He wasn't the leading wicket-taker, but he was the most effective in that he bowled far fewer overs than Ashwin, but took more regular wickets, and for fewer runs. He bagged 15 batsmen in the series.

200 – Ishant's wickets. The long-haired paceman trapped Angelo Mathews in front on day five of the third Test to claim his 200th wicket. It took him 65 Tests and eight years to get there.

339 – Mathews' runs. The Sri Lanka skipper returned to form by scoring the most runs in the series, the only player to make more than 300, and the only one to score more than one ton. He made two. Both in vain.

233 – Kohli's runs. The India skipper, in his first full series, wasn't bad, but he wasn't at his best. He made one century and one fifty, and while he was India's top scorer, he averaged a touch over 38. He has the bowlers to thank for this series win.

145 – Best average. Cheteshwar Pujara played just the one Test, having been out of form, but came back with a bang as he scored 145 not out in the third Test, rescuing his side from an early collapse. It kept his Test average near the 48 mark, and earned him the man of the match gong.

76 and 3 – Binny. The all-rounder, brought into the side after Galle, was underwhelming. He made 76 runs in four innings, and averaged 39 with the ball. For someone in and out of the side, he might be out again.

3 – Debutants and retirees. Wicketkeepers Naman Ojha and Kusal Perera made their Test debuts in the third match, a rare time that both teams debut a keeper in the same game. Kumar Sangakkara made an emotional exit after the second Test.

2 – Kusal's record. He became only the second Sri Lankan to score two half centuries on Test debut, making 55 and 70 in the third Test. The first to do so was Dinesh Chandimal, who was, incidentally, the second-highest scorer in the series.

4 – Players charged for misconduct. As the series wore on, tempers became more frayed. In the second Test, Ishant was fined 65 percent for a nasty send-off, and the third Test he was involved again. He got into an altercation with Dhammika Prasad, was shoulder barged by Dinesh Chandimal, and shouted at by Lahiru Thirimanne. All were charged and fined.

Lindsay du Plessis

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