Maharaj's nine-for: South Africa's second-best

1 Number of performances by South Africans that have eclipsed Keshav Maharaj's 9 for 129 in Sri Lanka's first innings at SSC. Hugh Tayfield's 9 for 113 against England taken way back in 1956-57 are the best figures by a South African. These are the only nine-fors by South Africa in Tests.

0 Outside of South Africa, no other South Africa bowler has better figures that Maharaj's nine-for. Lance Klusener's 8 for 64 at Kolkata in 1996 was their previous best overseas.

1 Hauls by left-arm spinners that shade Maharaj's 9 for 129. Rangana Herath managed to retain that record on account of having conceded two fewer runs when he ran through the Pakistan side at the same venue in 2014. These two are the only nine-fors taken by left-arm orthodox bowlers in Tests.

2 Hauls that shade Maharaj's effort in Tests in Sri Lanka. Muttiah Muralitharan's 9 for 51 against Zimbabwe in Kandy in 2002 and Herath's nine-for against Pakistan are the only ones above Maharaj's. Maharaj now has the best bowling figures for any visiting bowler in Tests in Sri Lanka.

1 Better returns for spinners from outside Asia against teams from the subcontinent, outside of Maharaj's effort. West Indies' Jack Noreiga had taken 9 for 95 against India in Port-of-Spain in 1971.