Boundary-less fifties, and Yuvraj in run-chases

Stats highlights from the eighth match of the CB Series, between India and Sri Lanka in Adelaide

19-Feb-2008

Stats highlights from the eighth match of the CB Series, between India and Sri Lanka in Adelaide.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni became only the fourth Indian batsman to score an ODI half-century without a single boundary © Getty Images

Kumar Sangakkara's 128 was his seventh ODI hundred, but only three times have his knocks helped Sri Lanka win. On four occasions - two of which have been against India - his centuries have been in losing causes. In fact, Sangakkara has a higher average against India in losses (39.76) than in wins (37.00).

The 153-run stand for the third wicket between Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene is the 17th 150-plus stand for that wicket in ODIs for Sri Lanka. Jayawardene has been involved in nine of those. It was also only the fifth time that Sri Lanka put together a 100-plus stand for the third wicket after losing the first two with less than ten runs on the board.

Sangakkara became only the second overseas wicketkeeper - after Pakistan's Kamran Akmal - to score an ODI century in Australia. In all, his hundred was the 50th by a wicketkeeper in ODIs.

Yuvraj Singh found his form again in his 200th ODI after having undergone a wretched patch in Australia. His 70-ball 76 is his 43rd fifty-plus score, of which 32 have led to wins for India. He also proved, once again, his ability to deliver during the pressures of a run-chase - he averages 39.52 when batting second, and 34.06 in the first innings. In successful run-chases, his average shoots up to 64.86, at a strike rate of more than 86. In unsuccessful run-chases, on the other hand, he only averages 21.23, which indicates how important his runs are to the team's cause.

Sachin Tendulkar, on the other hand, hasn't quite been able to turn it on in run-chases of late. In his last 50 innings, going back to August 16, 2006, he averages 62.10 when India have batted first, but just 26.92 in run-chases.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni helped India to the win with his 22nd fifty-plus score in ODIs, which was quite unusual for the fact that it didn't contain a single four or six. It was only the 28th such fifty-plus score in ODIs, and the fifth by an Indian - Mohammad Azharuddin is the only player to score a boundary-less half-century twice. In terms of strike-rate, Dhoni's knock ranks seventh among these 28 innings - Saeed Anwar's 62 off 67 balls against New Zealand in the 1996 World Cup comes on top, the same game in which Aamer Sohail, his opening partner, needed ten fours to score 50 from 62 balls.

India's win was their 50th against Sri Lanka - it's the first opposition against whom India have won 50 one-day internationals. The most wins by any team against a single opposition is Australia's 78 against New Zealand.

Sanath Jayasuriya became the first opener to get 25 ducks. Herschelle Gibbs and Adam Gilchrist are next with 17 zeroes each.

Sanath Jayasuriya Sachin Tendulkar MS Dhoni Yuvraj Singh India Sri Lanka Sri Lanka vs India Commonwealth Bank Series