Colombo: Statistical highlights on the first day of the second cricket Test between India and Sri Lanka here on Thursday.
After winning 10 consecutive tosses at Colombo (SSC), Sri Lanka have lost the toss vs India today. The last instance was when they had lost the toss against England in December 2007.
Lokesh Rahul's 57 off 82 balls is his second highest score vs Sri Lanka, next only to 108 at Colombo, PSS in August 2015.
DAY 1 - REPORT || FULL COVERAGE
Rahul has recorded six 50-plus scores in succession and became the third Indian batsman after Gundappa Viswanath (between 1977 and 1978) and Rahul Dravid (between 1997 and 1998) to achieve the distinction. Rahul's sequence of scores have been 90, 51, 67, 60 & 51 not out vs Australia and 57 vs Sri Lanka.
Rahul has become the fourth Indian batsman after Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane to complete 1,000 runs in Tests since January 2016 -- his tally being 1001 at an average of 55.61 in 13 Tests.
In two successive years, Rahul has averaged 50-plus in Tests -- 59.88 in 2016 and 51.33 in 2017.
Pujara's unbeaten 128 is his 13th century in Tests. His tally includes four in away Tests. Besides his three centuries in Tests in Sri Lanka, he has recorded 153 vs South Africa at Johannesburg in December 2013.
In three consecutive Tests vs Sri Lanka, Pujara has scored hundreds (145 not out at Colombo, SSC in 2015 and 153 at Galle & 128 not out at Colombo, SSC in 2017). He became the second visiting batsman after Sachin Tendulkar (143 at Colombo, RPS & 139 at Colombo, SSC in 1997 and 124 not out at Colombo, SSC in 1999) to record three hundreds in successive Tests vs Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.
Pujara enjoys an impressive batting record this year, totalling 838 runs (ave.83.80) in seven Tests, including three hundreds and four fifties -- the highest average among the batsmen who have appeared in five Tests or more this year.
Ajinkya Rahane's second century vs Sri Lanka is his ninth in Tests. He has registered six centuries in away Tests -- two vs Sri Lanka and one each vs England, Australia, New Zealand and West Indies.
For the first time, two double century stands have been recorded for India in the same Test series vs Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.
Double century partnerships in India vs Sri Lanka Test matches in Sri Lanka
Runs Wkt Pair Venue Series 256 5th Sachin Tendulkar/Suresh Raina Colombo, SSC 2010 253 2nd Shikhar Dhawan/Cheteshwar Pujara Galle 2017 232 2nd Rahul Dravid/Sadagoppan Ramesh Colombo, SSC 1998 -99
227 3rd Shikhar Dhawan/Virat Kohli Galle 2015 221 4th Sachin Tendulkar/Mohd. Azharuddin Colombo, RPS 1997 211* 4th Cheteshwar Pujara/Ajinkya Rahane Colombo, SSC 2017.
