Prabath Jayasuriya Shines as Sri Lanka Defeats New Zealand in Galle Test
Galle, Sri Lanka – Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya narrowly missed becoming the joint-fastest to reach 100 Test wickets, falling three short during Sri Lanka’s emphatic win over New Zealand in the second Test at Galle. Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand by an innings and 154 runs, sealing a 2-0 series victory.
Match Highlights
Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka posted a commanding 602-5 before declaring their first inning. Kamindu Mendis, promoted up the order after an impressive start to his Test career, led the charge with an unbeaten 182 off 250 balls. Jayasuriya complemented the batting dominance with a brilliant 6-42, as New Zealand crumbled to their lowest-ever total of 88 all out against Sri Lanka.
Jayasuriya’s Performance
Playing in his 16th Test, Jayasuriya was on the verge of equalling George Lohmann’s record for the fastest to 100 Test wickets, a record set in 1886. He needed another six-wicket haul in the second inning to match Lohmann’s feat but managed only 3-139. Debutant Nishan Peiris took 6-170, helping secure Sri Lanka’s stunning victory.
Historical Context
Lohmann remains the fastest to 100 Test wickets, reaching the milestone in 16 matches. Since Lohmann, the fastest bowlers to reach 100 wickets include Charlie Turner (Australia), Sydney Barnes (England), Clarrie Grimmett (New Zealand), and Yasir Shah (Pakistan), all achieving the feat in their 17th Test. Among them, Yasir Shah is the only one to do so in the 21st century.
Looking Ahead
As Sri Lanka prepares to face South Africa in an upcoming two-match Test series at home, Jayasuriya has a realistic chance of reaching 100 wickets in his 17th Test, which would place him joint-second on the all-time list, matching Yasir’s Asian record. Since his debut, Jayasuriya has been the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, with 97 wickets at an average of 28.42. He has also claimed nine five-wicket hauls, more than any other bowler during this period.
Doubts Revealed
Prabath Jayasuriya -: Prabath Jayasuriya is a cricketer from Sri Lanka who plays as a left-arm spinner. A spinner is a type of bowler who makes the ball spin when it bounces.
Galle Test -: The Galle Test refers to a cricket match played in Galle, a city in Sri Lanka. A Test match is a long cricket game that can last up to five days.
left-arm spinner -: A left-arm spinner is a type of bowler in cricket who uses their left hand to spin the ball. This makes the ball turn in a different direction compared to right-arm spinners.
100 Test wickets -: In cricket, a wicket is when a bowler gets a batsman out. Getting 100 Test wickets means the bowler has successfully gotten 100 batsmen out in Test matches.
innings -: An innings in cricket is a period in which one team bats and tries to score runs while the other team bowls and fields. Each team usually has two innings in a Test match.
Kamindu Mendis -: Kamindu Mendis is another cricketer from Sri Lanka. In this match, he scored 182 runs without getting out, which is a very high score.
6-42 -: 6-42 means that Prabath Jayasuriya took 6 wickets and gave away 42 runs. This is a way to show how well a bowler performed in a match.
New Zealand’s lowest-ever total -: This means that New Zealand scored fewer runs in this match than they ever have before against Sri Lanka in a Test match.
series victory -: A series victory means that Sri Lanka won more matches than New Zealand in a set of games played between the two teams.
South Africa -: South Africa is another country that plays cricket. Sri Lanka will play against South Africa in their next series of matches.
