Mahela Jayawardene's run-fest in Galle

Stats highlights from the opening day of the Galle Test

26-Mar-2012

Though England took eight wickets on the opening day in Galle, the highlight was clearly Mahela Jayawardene's classy unbeaten 168. Here are the main stats points from a riveting day of Test cricket

Jayawardene became the first batsman in Test cricket to score 2000-plus runs at two grounds. Before the start of this match, he already had 2697 runs in 24 Tests at the SSC in Colombo, and 1932 in Galle; after this innings, his Test tally in Galle is 2100. Together at these two venues, Jayawardene has scored 4797 runs in 43 Tests at an average of 81.30, with 17 of his 30 Test hundreds coming at these grounds. Jacques Kallis (in Cape Town) and Graham Gooch (at Lord's) are the only other batsmen to score 2000-plus Test runs at a venue.

Of Jayawardene's 30 Test centuries, 21 have come at home in 71 Tests. Only Ricky Ponting (23 in 89 matches), Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar (22 in 82 for each) have scored more hundreds at home. Jayawardene's home average is the highest among these batsmen, though, at 64.60. In overseas Tests (including those at neutral venues), his average drops to 37.94.

Jayawardene has so far scored 58% of his team's runs in this innings. Among Sri Lankans, only two batsmen have scored higher percentages: Asanka Gurusinha made 52 an unbeaten out of his team's 82 against India in 1990, while Kumar Sangakkara has two such dominant performances - 100 not out, out of 170 against New Zealand in Christchurch, and an unbeaten 156 out of 258 against the same opposition in Wellington. (Click here for the full list of highest percentages of team runs scored by a batsman in a completed innings.)

Jayawardene's unbeaten 168 is his seventh 150-plus score as a captain, which is the second-highest in Test cricket. Don Bradman has eight, while Brian Lara is the only other captain with seven such scores.

England's start was among their best against Sri Lanka: they had the home team struggling at 15 for 3, which is the second-lowest total at which Sri Lanka have lost their top three in a Test innings against England. (In the 2001 series, Sri Lanka were 3 for 3 in the second innings in Kandy).

James Anderson became the sixth England bowler to take 250-plus Test wickets. Even though he has been in terrific form over the last couple of years, Anderson's overall Test average remains a touch over 30 (30.32), which makes him the only one among those six with an average of over 30. Anderson's home average is 27.03, but in overseas and neutral Tests he averages 36.47. He has only taken five wickets in three Tests in Sri Lanka, at 61.60.

James Anderson Mahela Jayawardene England Sri Lanka Sri Lanka vs England England tour of Sri Lanka

S Rajesh is stats editor of ESPNcricinfo. Follow him on Twitter