7 fascinating facts about Angelo Mathews’ Test career – the Sri Lankan star sure knew how to avoid a duck
Veteran Sri Lankan player Angelo Mathews has confirmed his decision to retire from Test cricket, saying he will play his final game for Sri Lanka in the upcoming first Test against Bangladesh.
Sri Lanka has produced many great cricketers over the years. Names like Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga, and Aravinda de Silva were all household names.
Somehow, despite his incredible career and all-round capabilities, Mathews has never quite carried the same fanfare. But make no mistake, he has been a giant of Sri Lankan cricket. A quiet force, a consistent contributor, and a resilient leader.
Mathews made his Test debut against Pakistan at Galle in 2009, and over 15 years he has carved out a reputation as one of Sri Lanka’s most dependable and dignified performers.
A middle-order batter with immense concentration, and a bowler who could chip in with valuable overs, Mathews has accumulated an outstanding body of work. As he prepares to bid farewell to the longest format, here are seven key statistics that highlight just how remarkable his Test career has been.
1. 33rd most Test runs – 8,167 runs
With 8,167 Test runs to his name, Angelo Mathews currently ranks 33rd on the all-time list of Test run scorers – an incredible feat considering Sri Lanka doesn’t play as frequently as the “big three.”
He is the third-highest run-scorer for Sri Lanka, behind only Sangakkara and Jayawardene. With one Test still to play Mathews could still find himself climbing higher up this list. He needs just 15 runs to pass Kevin Pietersen and 64 to pass David Gower of England.
He has reached his runs at an average of just under 46, scoring 15 centuries and 40 fifties, with a highest score of 200 not out. His ability to grind out innings and rescue his team from pressure situations became his trademark over the years.
2. 8th most sixes in Tests
While not known primarily as a power-hitter, Mathews’ strength and calm temperament allowed him to clear the ropes with surprising regularity. He has hit 79 sixes in his Test career, placing him eighth on the all-time list for most sixes in Test cricket.
This puts him ahead of far more aggressive players such as Kevin Pietersen and Chris Gayle, underlining his underrated hitting ability. Importantly, most of those sixes came in calculated moments, often when he was batting with the tail or turning the tide in grinding contests.
3. 33rd most capped Test player
Mathews’ longevity is another standout quality. With 118 Test appearances, he sits at 33rd on the list of most Test matches played by a cricketer. Among Sri Lankans, only Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Muralitharan, and Dilshan have played more.
His ability to stay fit, despite intermittent injury struggles, and to remain in contention through changing team compositions and coaching regimes shows just how vital he was to the Sri Lankan setup.
4. 38th most capped Test captain
Angelo Mathews captained Sri Lanka in 34 Test matches, making him the 38th most-capped Test captain in the format’s history. He led Sri Lanka through a transitional phase, post the retirements of Sangakkara and Jayawardene, and was often the bridge between old and new.
Mathews’ captaincy record was solid, though not spectacular; he won 13 of those 34 Tests, but his leadership was marked more by composure and integrity than tactical flair. In some tough years for Sri Lankan cricket, he remained a steadying figure.
5. 7th on list of most consecutive innings without a duck
One of the great marks of consistency for a batter is avoiding ducks, and Mathews excelled at that. He once went 106 innings without being dismissed for zero, which places him seventh on the all-time list for most consecutive innings without a duck.
This stat is a testament to his temperament and discipline at the crease. Mathews rarely gave his wicket away cheaply and was often the glue that held fragile batting line-ups together.
6. 31st on list of most innings before a duck
Even earlier in his career, Mathews displayed an admirable ability to avoid the dreaded duck. He went 60 innings before registering his first duck, making him 31st on the all-time list of most innings before getting out for zero.
It highlights a long-standing feature of his batting – he was difficult to dismiss early. Rarely flustered, he had the patience and defensive technique to survive new-ball spells and see off tough phases, something Sri Lanka came to rely on heavily.
7. 4th on list of most runs at a single ground
Perhaps surprisingly, Mathews is fourth on the list of most Test runs scored at a single venue, with 2,206 runs at the Galle International Stadium. The only players ahead of him on that list are his teammates Mahela Jayawardene (who is there twice) and Kumar Sangakkara.
His dominance at Galle includes five of his 15 Test hundreds and several match-winning contributions. Clearly, it was a happy hunting ground for Mathews, something both he and Sri Lankan fans will remember fondly.
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