Kumar Sangakkara's 100th Test
Sangakkara's road to 100 Tests
The first of Kumar Sangakkara's many double-centuries was in the Asian Test Championship in early 2002. He guided Sri Lanka to victory in the competition, scoring 230 in the final against Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. This was his first century away from home.•Arif Ali/AFP
He scored a marathon 270 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in May 2004, while putting on 438 for the second wicket with Marvan Atapattu, which is the seventh highest partnership for any wicket in Tests.•Associated Press
Sangakkara was Sri Lanka's designated Test wicketkeeper for the first half of his career, and he enjoyed the most success against England. He has claimed 34 catches and six stumpings in 12 matches against them as a gloveman. •Leo de Lisle/PA Photos
Sangakkara's ability to play the long innings was on display once again during a home series against Bangladesh in mid 2007. He scored two, unbeaten double-hundreds in back-to-back matches, as Sri Lanka swept the series.•AFP
Sangakkara captained Sri Lanka in Tests between July 2009 and December 2010, and won five matches out of 15. Here he's seen with the series trophy after Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan 2-0 in a home series in July 2009.•AFP
Sangakkara has seven double-centuries to his credit. His only one as captain was a knock of 219 that came in a high-scoring draw against India during the same series. •Associated Press
By then, he had already promised much and had three tons to his credit. He debuted in July 2000 in Galle against South Africa and produced his maiden Test century in his tenth game, against India at the same venue in August 2001. Sri Lanka won that game by 10 wickets and went on to take series 2-1, the first of several victories fashioned by Sangakkara. •AFP
His 232 and 64 in Colombo in August 2004 helped Sri Lanka to their first series win against South Africa. They won the match by 313 runs to take the series 1-0. •Sena Vidanagama/AFP
He played his last full series as designated wicketkeeper in England in June 2006. Freed of the extra responsibility, he went on to dwarf his earlier effort with Atapattu in a 624-run partnership for the third wicket with Mahela Jayawardene against South Africa, at the Sinhalese Sports Club in July 2006. The pair swept aside all the first-class partnership records, and Sangakkara finished with his highest Test score, 287, as Sri Lanka romped to an innings win.•Getty Images
One of Sangakkara's most memorable knocks in away Tests came in a losing cause, against Australia in Hobart in November 2007. Sangakkara doggedly set about chasing down 507, only to be given out caught off his shoulder on 192, as Sri Lanka fell 97 short. Umpire Rudi Koertzen later publicly apologised for his blunder.•AFP
As captain, Sangakkara scored two 100s in winning causes. The first, 109 against New Zealand at the SSC in August 2009, helped Sri Lanka to a 2-0 series sweep.•AFP
Since giving up his full-time duties behind the stumps in Tests in 2006, Sangakkara has donned the gloves in the longest format just once, in April 2008. That takes his tally to 144 dismissals in 48 Tests as keeper to date, with 124 catches and 20 stumpings.•Associated Press
In July 2005 after West Indies had shot out Sri Lanka for 150 in their first innings in Kandy, Sangakkara led the fight back with an unbeaten 157 in the second innings. Sri Lanka's bowlers backed up Sangakkara's effort, and Sri Lanka pulled off an improbable 240-run win to sweep the series. •Sena Vidanagama/AFP
As New Zealand secured a five-wicket win in Christchurch in December 2006, only Sangakkara offered some resistance, being stranded on 100 not out as Sri Lanka folded for 170 in the second innings. He followed up this gritty knock with another unbeaten ton - 156 in the first innings of the second Test in Wellington, which set up a 217-run, series-levelling win for his side.•Getty Images
That innings in Hobart, and the 152 against England that followed a month later in Kandy, are two of his favourite knocks, Sangakkara told ESPNcricinfo in an interview on the eve of his 100th Test•AFP
The second of Sangakkara's winning tons as captain was 103 against India in Galle, during a tied Test series in mid 2010. The Test is better remembered for being Muttiah Muralitharan's last.•AFP
Sangakkara's most recent century in the build-up to his 100th Test was his first in England, a fighting fourth-innings effort that helped Sri Lanka secure a draw in Southampton in June 2011. Standing in for injured captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sangakkara scored 119 on the final day, helping his side wipe out a deficit of 193 and play out time till the weather intervened. •AFP