A partnership that provides hope

Statistical highlights for the third day's play of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Colombo

Mathew Varghese

05-Jul-2007

The sixth-wicket partnership of 191 between Mohammad Ashraful and Mushfiqur Rahim is the best for any wicket for Bangladesh in Tests, bettering the 187-run stand between Habibul Bashar and Shahriar Nafees against Australia at Fatullah in 2006.

The stand is also the third best for the sixth wicket on Sri Lankan soil, behind the unbeaten stand of 246 between Jeff Crowe and Sir Richard Hadlee in Colombo in 1987 and the 218-run partnership between Justin Langer and Simon Katich in Colombo in 2004.

Mohammad Ashraful became the first Bangladesh batsman to score four centuries in Test cricket. Habibul Bashar is second on the list, having scored three hundreds for Bangladesh. Ashraful and Bashar are the only players to have made a hundred while captaining Bangladesh in Test cricket. This is also Ashraful's second hundred in Sri Lanka.

Ashraful's century was preceded by a duck in the first innings. This was the 14th instance of a captain scoring a duck and a century in the same Test, with only Billy Murdoch, Garry Sobers and now Ashraful having scored unbeaten centuries.

Mashrafe Mortaza bagged his second pair in Test cricket. The opening bowler now has eight ducks in 44 innings. After 45 innings, Courtney Walsh had eight ducks as well in Test cricket. Walsh tops the chart for most ducks.

Muttiah Muralitharan picked up only one wicket in Bangladesh's second innings, his worst performance against them in a Test innings. He has picked up eight five-wicket hauls in eight Tests against Bangladesh. His previous worst of 2 for 62 came at Bogra in 2006.

Some of the information was provided by HR Gopalakrishna.

Mushfiqur Rahim Mashrafe Mortaza Mohammad Ashraful Bangladesh Sri Lanka Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka