Hardik Pandya equals Wasim Akram's record of quickest Test ton in Sri Lanka by visiting player

PTI

New Delhi: The Day 2 of the third Test between India and Sri Lanka closed with the visitors well in charge of the match, thanks to Hardik Pandya blistering maiden century. With his knock, the all-rounder equaled Wasim Akram's record of scoring the fastest ton in Lanka by a visiting player. (IND vs SL, 3rd Test - Live Blog | Full Coverage)

The Pakistani cricket great had completed his century in the island country in 86-balls during a series in 2000 at Galle International Stadium.

On Day 2 of Pallekele Test, Pandya equaled that record, going past Virender Sehwag, who had completed his century in Sri Lanka in 87 balls during a series in 2008.

Here are some other statistical highlights from second day of third Test between India and Sri Lanka:

1. Sri Lanka's first innings score of 135 is the second lowest in Tests at Pallekele. Sri Lanka had scored 117 vs Australia last year.

2. The aforesaid total is their second lowest score vs India in Tests in Sri Lanka behind the 134 at Colombo (PSS) in 2015.

3. Sri Lanka faced 37.4 overs in the first innings of the Test. Just two times in the first innings of a home Test, they have faced even less overs - 28.2 when totalling 71 vs Pakistan at Kandy in 1994 and 34.2 when posting 117 vs Australia at Pallekele last year.

4. India have taken first innings lead of 309 in the first Test, followed by 439 in the second and 352 in the third.

5. Vishwa Fernando (2/87) has produced his best bowling performance in Tests, surpassing the 1 for 16 vs Australia at Galle last year.

6. Hardik Pandya became the fifth Indian player to post a maiden first-class hundred in a Test match, joining Vijay Manjrekar, Kapil Dev, Ajay Ratra and Harbhajan Singh.

7. Pandya's previous highest Test score was 50 on Test debut vs Sri Lanka at Galle last month.

8. Pandya has batted in three innings so far in Tests, maintaining strike rate of 100-plus everytime he came to the crease. His runs' tally in three innings is 178 (ave.59.33) at a strike rate of 107.87.

9. Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya were involved in a 62- run stand - the highest by a visiting pair for the eighth wicket in Tests at Pallekele.

10. Lakshan Sandakan (5/132) has recorded his best bowling figures, outstripping the 4 for 58 on Test debut against Australia at Pallekele in July 2016

11. Sandakan is the second Sri Lankan bowler after Rangana Herath (5/54 vs Australia last year) to produce a five-wicket haul in Tests at Pallekele

12. Hardik Pandya during his maiden century (108 off 96 balls) hit seven sixes. He has equalled an Indian record for most sixes in a Test innings by a number 8 or lower order batsman. As number eight batsman, Harbhajan Singh, in the course of his brilliant unbeaten knock of 111 off 116 balls vs New Zealand at Hyderabad in 2010-11, had posted seven sixes.. Pandya had scored 107(1* to 108*) before lunch on the second day in an extended session and became the first Indian batsman to make 100 runs or more before lunch on any day of a Test match.

13. Thirty six sixes have been posted in the current rubber - a record in any Test series played in Sri Lanka, eclipsing the 29 between Australia and Sri Lanka in the three-Test series in 2003-04.

14. Pandya posted 26 runs (446660) off Malinda Pushpakumara - the most by an Indian batsman in an over in a Test innings, surpassing the 24 each hit by Sandeep Patil (at Manchester in 1982) and Kapil Dev (at Lord's in 1990) - both against England.

15. Kuldeep Yadav's excellent figures of 4 for 40 are his best in Tests, eclipsing his 4 for 68 vs Australia at Dharamsala in March 2017.

(With PTI inputs)