Statistical preview of India vs Sri Lanka Test series
Rohit Sharma-led Team India is set to play host to Sri Lanka for three-match T20Is and two-match Test series, starting from February 24. The red-ball event will kick off on March 4 in Mohali. The Test series between India and Sri Lanka is also part of the 2021-23 World Test Championship (WTC). Here we present you a statistical analysis of the upcoming Test series.
A look at previous Test series between India and SL
India played their first Test series (only Test) against Sri Lanka in 1982, which ended in a draw. Sri Lanka won the three-match Test series 1-0 in 1985 in India. India won the next four series in 1986-87 (2-0), 1990-91 (1-0), 1993 (1-0), and 1993-94 (3-0). The next two bilateral competitions between India and SL ended in a draw (1997 and 1997-98).
A look at the previous Test series (part 2)
Sri Lanka won their first Test series against India on home soil in 2001 (2-1). India won the next event 2-0 in 2005-06. Sri Lanka returned the favor by defeating India 2-1 in the next bilateral meet in 2008. Thereafter, India won four (2009-10, 2015, 2017, and 2017-18) out of five-Test series between the two nations while one ended in a draw (2010).
Sachin Tendulkar leads the run-scoring chart
Sachin Tendulkar leads the run-scoring chart between the two countries in Tests. He has scored 1,995 runs in 25 games at 60.45 with the help of nine hundreds and six fifties. Tendulkar is followed by Mahela Jayawardene. He has scored 1,822 runs in 22 games at 67.48. Rahul Dravid (1,508 runs) and Kumar Sangakkara (1,352 runs) are occupying the third and fourth spots respectively.
Muttiah Muralitharan leads wicket-takers list
Sri Lankan great Muralitharan is the leading wicket-taker between the two countries. Muralidaran has bagged 105 wickets in 22 games with the help of seven five-wicket and two ten-wicket hauls. He is followed by Anil Kumble (74 wickets), Harbhajan Singh (53 wickets), R Ashwin (50 wickets), Kapil Dev (45 wickets), and Ishant Sharma (36 wickets). Ajantha Mendis has claimed 34 wickets in six games.
Virat Kohli tops the run-scoring list among active players
Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli tops the run-scoring list among active players. He has accumulated 1,004 runs in nine games at 77.33 with the help of five tons and two fifties. Kohli is followed by Angelo Mathews (957 runs in 15 games), Dinesh Chandimal (750 runs in eight games), Cheteshwar Pujara (743 runs in seven games), and Shikhar Dhawan (712 runs in six games).
Ashwin tops the wicket-takers list
India's spin wizard R Ashwin tops the wicket-taker list among active players. He has claimed 50 wickets against Sri Lanka in nine games at 23.58. Ishant Sharma (36 wickets), Ravindra Jadeja (23 wickets), and Mohammed Shami (19 wickets) are occupying the next three spots respectively in the elite list. Sri Lanka's Lakshan Sandakan has picked ten wickets in two games.
Highest partnerships between India and Sri Lanka
Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama hold the record for highest partnership. The two had added 576 runs for the second wicket during Colombo Test in 1997. Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli have recorded the highest partnership against Sri Lanka for India. The duo had put up a 283-run partnership for the third wicket in 2017 during the Delhi Test.
