SL vs PAK: Prabath Jayasuriya Joins The Elite Club With New Record In Galle Test

As Pakistan struggled on the second day of the first Test, Sri Lankan spinner Prabath Jayasuriya cemented his place in history by claiming his third straight haul of five or more wickets.

After Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath, Jayasuriya is the third spinner from Sri Lanka to take up three five-wicket hauls in successive innings.

Jayasuriya joined Tom Richardson and Clarrie Grimmett as the only bowlers in the history of the sport to claim five wickets in their first three Test matches. He picked up 6 for 118 and 6 for 49 against Australia before his five-for against Pakistan in the first innings. Those wickets were all taken in Galle.

A five-for each in his first three Test innings ?

Take a bow, Prabath Jayasuriya ?

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If he took another five wickets in the second innings, he would accomplish the feat before any other bowler.

After Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath, Jayasuriya became the third spinner from Sri Lanka to notch up three five-wicket hauls in consecutive innings.

Prabath Jayasuriya made his debut against Australia:

At one stage during his second stint, Jayasuriya was on a hat-trick and on pace to pick up three in a row, but Yasir Shah had a close call when the ball sailed over the edge of his bat. He killed Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz, Agha Salman, Abdullah Shafique, and Azhar Ali among others.

With Azhar Ali still standing and Yasir Shah on 12, Pakistan was 104-7 at the break on day two, trailing Sri Lanka by 118 runs.

At the second game in Galle against Australia, Prabath Jayasuriya earned his debut at the age of 30, taking six wickets to help dismiss Australia for 151 and help the hosts even the series at 1-1.

Jayasuriya joined an exclusive group when he took 12/177 in his first Test. After India’s Narendra Hirwani (16/136 against the West Indies in 1988), Australia’s Bob Massie (16/137 against England in 1972), and England’s Fred Martin (12/102 against Australia in 1890), he now has the fourth-best statistics in his first Test.

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