1st Test: Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Statistical Highlights

It was the 1499th Test in cricket history

19-Jun-2000

It was the 1499th Test in cricket history.

It was Pakistan's 268th and Sri Lanka's 100th Test.

It was 25th Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The record now reads: Pakistan 12, Sri Lanka 5 and drawn 9.

It was the 8th Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka on Sri Lankan soil. The record now reads: Pakistan 4, Sri Lanka 1, drawn 3.

Umpires Steve Bucknor and BC Cooray were officiating in their 50th and 18th Test respectively. Bucknor became third umpire to stand in 50 Test matches after two Englishmen Dicky Bird (66) and David Shepherd (50).

Dilhara Fernando was making his debut for Sri Lanka. He became 82nd player to make a Test appearance for Sri Lanka.

Arjuna Ranatunga became first ever cricketer to play in his country's first and 100th Test match.

Waqar Younis, by dismissing Muttiah Muralitharan in the first innings, completed his 300 wickets in Test cricket. He was playing his 65th Test. Waqar became third Pakistani after Imran Khan and Wasim Akram and 14th bowler in the world to do so.

Waqar Younis now holds the world record of being the quickest in terms of balls taken to accomplish this feat. He sent down 12601 balls to capture 300 wickets and hence obliterated West Indian Malcolm Marshall's record who needed 13755 balls to complete his 300 wickets (calculated upto the end of the innings).

Waqar, at 28 years and 212 days, became the third youngest after India's Kapil Dev (28 years and one day) and Australia's Shane Warne (28 years and 114 days) to reach this milestone.

Waqar Younis has now taken 48 wickets in 10 matches against Sri Lanka, which takes him past fellow Pakistani Imran Khan's and India's Anil Kumble's tally of 46 wickets against Sri Lanka. Now only fellow teammate Wasim Akram has taken more wickets than Waqar against Sri Lanka - 60 in 17 matches.

The wicket of Yousuf Youhana in first innings was 50th for Muttiah Muralitharan against Pakistan in his ninth match. He became first Sri Lankan and seventh bowler after India's Kapil Dev (99 wickets in 29 Tests), Australia's Dennis Lillee (71 in 17), West Indian Courtney Walsh (53 in 18), New Zealand's Richard Hadlee (51 in 12) and West Indians Colin Croft (50 in 9) and Malcolm Marshall (50 in 12).

Wasim Akram, by scoring 78 in Pakistan's first innings, equalled India's Kapil Dev's record of playing highest individual innings against Sri Lanka at batting position eight. Kapil had made 78 at Colombo in 1985-86. The previous record for Pakistan was on the name of Moin Khan, who made 70 at Karachi in March this year.

The tenth wicket partnership of 90 runs between Wasim Akram and Arshad Khan in first innings is the highest for this wicket for any side against Sri Lanka. The pair just managed to outstrip the 89-run stand between John Crawley and Angus Fraser for England at The Oval in 1988. The previous highest tenth wicket stand for Pakistan against Sri Lanka was 65 run between Moin Khan and Amir Nazir at Sialkot in 1995-96.

The stand is also the highest for tenth wicket on Sri Lankan soil. This oblitated the 71-run stand between Romesh Kaluwitharana and Muttiah Muralitharan for Sri Lanka against New Zealand at Colombo in 1998-99.Incidentally the previous record tenth wicket stand for Pakistan in Sri Lanka was paltry 39 between Tausif Ahmed and Wasim Akram at Kandy in 1985-86.

Muralitharan took five wickets in an innings for the fourth time against Pakistan, which puts him at level with India's Vinoo Mankad, Australia's Shane Warne, England's Derek Underwood and New Zealand's Richard Hadlee. Now only India's Kapil Dev (7) and Australia's Dennis Lillee (5) have taken more five wicket innings hauls than Muralitharan against Pakistan.

It was also the 19th time that Muralitharan was taking a five wicket innings haul. Among the spinners now only Australia's Clarrie Grimmett has taken more five wicket innings hauls in a career - 21 in 37 Tests.

Wasim Akram when dismissed Russel Arnold in Sri Lanka's second innings,completed his 400 wickets in Test cricket. He was playing his 96th Test. Wasim became first Pakistani and only the fourth bowler in Test cricket to do so.

Wasim now holds the unique distinction of taking 400 wickets in both forms of cricket- Tests and One-day internationals.

The five wicket haul in Sri Lanka's second innings was the 25th for Wasim Akram in his 96th Test.This takes him past Sid Barnes' tally of 24 five wicket innings hauls. Now only Richard Hadlee (36) and Ian Botham (27) have taken more five wicket hauls than Wasim Akram in Test cricket.

Muralitharan's match figures of 8 for 168 replaces in the record Books Kumara Dharmasena's 8 for 183 at Colombo in 1994-95 as the best match bowling figures by a Sri Lankan against Pakistan in Sri Lanka.

Wasim Akram became only the fourth allrounder to score a fifty and capture five wicket innings haul in the same match against Sri Lanka.Others to do so are Australia's Paul Reiffel (56 & 5- 39 at Adelaide in 1995-96), Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq (58 & 5- 89 at Colombo RP in 1996-97) and West Indies' Carl Hooper (81 & 5-26 at Kingstown in 1997-98).

Akram provided the 11th instance of a Pakistani scoring a fifty and capturing five wicket in an innings in the same match. This was the third occasion when Akram was making this record. The accompanying table has the details :

52*  &  5-48     Asif Iqbal          NZ  Wellington    1964-65

201 & 5-49 Mushtaq Mohammad NZ Dunedin 1972-73

121 & 5-28 Mushtaq Mohammad WI Port of Spain 1976-77 56

65 & 7-52 Imran Khan Eng Birmingham 1982

67* & 5-49 Imran Khan Eng Leeds 1982

117 & 6-98 Imran Khan Ind Faisalabad 1982-83 5-82

66 & 6-91 Wasim Akram WI Faisalabad 1986-87

61 & 5-88 Abdul Qadir Eng Karachi 1987-88 5-98 52 & 5-100 Wasim Akram Aus Adelaide 1989-90 123

58 & 5-89 Saqlain Mushtaq SL Colombo RP 1996-97

78 & 5-45 Wasim Akram SL Colombo SSC 2000-01

Sri Lanka has not been able to beat Pakistan in a Test on home soil since 1985-86 when it won the Colombo Test by 8 wickets. Since then the two teams have played six Tests against each other.

The defeat was Sri Lanka's first on home soil since May 1998, when New Zealand won the Colombo Test by 167 runs However Sri Lanka made amends by winning the next two Tests and hence the series on that occasion.

The pre-Test celebrations of the 100th Test ended in acute embarrassment for Sri Lanka. However they can take some solace from the fact that only three teams, Australia, West Indies and Pakistan have won their 100th Test, while England, South Africa and India suffered defeat in their 100th Tests. New Zealand's 100th Test was drawn.

Sri Lanka Pakistan Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Pakistan tour of Sri Lanka