SL vs IRE: Jayasuriya records his fifth Test five-wicket haul
Sri Lanka spinner Prabath Jayasuriya has simply spun his web around the Ireland batters as he claimed his fifth Test five-wicket haul in the ongoing first Test at the Galle International Stadium. Jayasuriya made brilliant use of home conditions and finished with 5/42 on Day 2. He played a major role in restricting Ireland to only 117/7 at stumps. Here we decode his stats.
A terrific spell from Prabath Jayasuriya
The left-arm spinner was introduced into the attack very quickly by SL skipper Dimuth Karunaratne. He removed Harry Tector first as he edged it to the first slip. In two balls, he struck again and dismissed Curtis Campher, who handed a catch to cover. He then cleaned up James McCollum and later removed Peter Moor. Lastly, George Dockrell was adjudged lbw.
Fifth five-wicket haul in six Test matches
Courtesy of yet another fifer, Jayasuriya has raced to 38 wickets in only his sixth Test match. He averages 22.50 and apart from five five-wicket hauls, he has a 10-wicket match haul against Australia. His best bowling figures in a match reads 12/177. It was his Test debut last year, and since then, he has been an indispensable figure in the SL test team.
A look at the Day 2 summary
SL won the toss and decided to bat. Karunaratne stitched a mammoth 281-run partnership with Kusal Mendis. Both the batters scored massive tons. Later, Dinesh Chandimal and Samarawickrama also scored hundreds respectively as they posted 591/6d. In response, Ireland lost wickets consistently. Only McCollum (35) and Tector (34) could cross the 30-run mark as the visitors were restricted to 117/7. Jayasuriya finished with 5/42.
Jayasuriya's love affair with the Galle International Stadium
All five of Jayasuriya's five-wicket hauls have come at the Galle International Stadium. Playing his fourth Test match at the venue, he has scalped 34 wickets in seven innings at an average of 18.61. He has played only two matches in New Zealand.
