By IANS,
Kanpur: Shantakumaran Sreesanth’s five for 75 against Sri Lanka in the second cricket test at the Green Park Stadium here Thursday were the best by any Indian bowler at home.
Sreesanth surpassed Kapil Dev’s five for 110 at Chennai in 1982-83. Sreesanth and Kapil are the only two Indian speedsters to bag five wickets in an innings against Sri Lanka in India.
The other statistical highlights of the day are as follows:
Mahela Jayawardene has become the first Sri Lankan and the second batsman after Rahul Dravid (359) to make 300 runs in the present series. With 332 runs, Jayawardene is averaging 110.66.
India, for the first time, have taken a lead of 400 against Sri Lanka – their third instance of 400 or more in Tests after 492 against Bangladesh at Mirpur in 2007 and 400 against Australia at Kolkata in 1997-98.
Sreesanth’s figures (5/75) are the best ever for India against Sri Lanka at Kanpur.
Tharanga Paranavitana (38) has posted his best overseas score apart from recording his highest against India, eclipsing the 35 at Ahmedabad in the first Test of the current series.
India, for the fifth time, have enforced a follow-on vs Sri Lanka. India had recorded a win each time by an innings.
Sreesanth (5/75) has recorded his best bowling performance in India, outstripping the 4 for 70 against England at Mumbai in 2005-06.
Sreesanth’s aforesaid figures are his second best, next only to the 5 for 40 against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2006-07. These are his only two five-wicket hauls in Tests.
Kumar Sangakkara (44) has registered his highest score on Indian soil in eight innings.