Brisbane, Feb 21: Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan put up Sri Lanka’s best opening partnership against India at a neutral venue; India’s opening stand was worth naught as Virender Sehwag scored his 14th duck. Take a look at the numbers that matter from a match owned by the Lankans.
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Virender Sehwag was leading India in the absence of MS Dhoni who was serving a one-match ban for maintaining a slow over-rate in the encounter against Australia. Incidentally, Sehwag has captained India on all four occasions when Dhoni had to sit out a game because of a ban.
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For the sixth consecutive time in the tournament, the opposing team batted first against India. On one occasion, India elected to field first. On the remaining five occasions, the opposition opted to bat first after winning the toss.
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The partnership of 95 runs between Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan is Sri Lanka’s best opening partnership against India at a neutral venue. The pair obliterated the 79-run stand between Sanath Jayasuriya and Avishka Gunawardene at Sharjah in 1998.
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This was also the highest opening partnership for any side in the tournament. This pair had put on 74 runs against Australia at Sydney on February 17.
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Jayawardene and Dilshan have now opened the innings together thrice against India and they have put on at least 75 runs on the board on each occasion. 79 and 121 at Dambulla in 2010 and 95 today.
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Kumar Sangakkara, on six, completed 7,000 runs in away ODIs. He became the third Sri Lankan to do so after Sanath Jayasuriya (9550) and Mahela Jayawardene (7051).
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Sri Lanka’s total of 289 for six is their highest against India in Australia. This obliterates their previous highest of 238 for six at Adelaide in 2008.
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Irfan Pathan’s two wickets in this match took his wicket-tally in ODIs in Australia to 33. Kapil Dev (57) is the only Indian who has taken more wickets than Pathan in Australia.
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Virender Sehwag recorded his 14th duck, his fourth against Sri Lanka. He now shares the dubious distinction of aggregating most ducks for India against Sri Lanka with Harbhajan Singh.
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Sachin Tendulkar took his aggregate against Sri Lanka in ODIs to 3,068 – the highest tally for any batsman against a particular opponent in ODIs. Incidentally, Tendulkar bettered his own record. He has scored 3,063 runs against Australia.
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Thisara Perera’s figures of four for 37 are the best by a Sri Lankan bowler against India in Australia. This eclipsed Ishara Amerasinghe’s three for 49 at Adelaide in 2008. Incidentally, Nuwan Kusasekara’s three for 40 in this game were the second best figures for Sri Lanka against India in Australia.
