Sri Lanka test cricket records

Sri Lanka has been playing test cricket since 1980s and has emerged today as one of the best ones around the world. All throughout these years, the team has scored many records on the cricket pitch. Here’s a glimpse of the important ones.

The team has played 189 matches in total with a win percent of 31.74. They have never tied a test match with any country. Their highest ever total was recorded when they declared against India at 952 runs for a loss of 6 wickets in 1997. In 1994, they recorded their lowest total of a meager 71 runs against Pakistan. Sri Lanka has recorded 1,553 runs as their highest match aggregate against Pakistan in 2009. In 2004, while playing against Zimbabwe, they won the test match by their highest margin of an innings and 254 runs. While considering their victory by runs only, they won against Bangladesh by 465 runs in 2009. Sri Lanka won against Zimbabwe by a 10 wicket margin in 1996.

Mahela Jayawardene is ranked the number one player considering the runs scored with 8,747 runs. He is also the player who has scored maximum runs in an innings for Sri Lanka with 374 runs. Power packed wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara has the best averages amongst all players with 55.36. On the other hand, Muttiah Muralitharan rules the bowling charts with a total of 792 wickets with Chaminda Vaas following with 355 wickets. Muralitharan also has the best bowling figures for an innings with 51 runs for 9 wickets. Co-incidentally, he is ruling the charts on the first four ranks with Ravi Ratnayeke at the fifth position with 83 runs for 8 wickets. Muralitharan has dismissed 5 batsmen in an innings for 66 times, more than any other Sri Lankan bowler. He has also taken 10 wickets in a match for 22 times. Vaas following him in the feat has got 10 wickets only twice. No doubt that he is the one with the best bowling averages in a test match career. Muralitharan is also the batsman with the maximum number of ducks with 32 of them from 1992 till present.

Mahela Jayawardene also rules the fielding charts with a total of 151 test match catches during his entire career. The best partnership of all, by wickets, was between Sanath jayasuriya and Marvan Atapattu for a match against Pakistan in 2000 where they contributed 335 runs. According to runs scored, the best partnership was between Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara in 2006 against South Africa. They scored 624 runs in total for the 3rd wicket.

Arjuna Ranatunga has been a successful captain and stood for 56 matches in all from 1989 till 1999. Current captain Mahela Jayawardene has played 28 matches as a captain from 2006 till present. Regarding the most matches played by any Sri Lankan player, Muralitharan steals the glory with 128 matches. The only other player close to his record is Vaas who has played 111 matches in all.