Friday 4th November, 2011 Left-hander’s 27th Test hundred takes SL to 245 for 2 Sanga becomes fastest to score 9000 Test runs Highest run scorers in Test cricket Player Mat Runs HS Ave 100 50 Kumar Sangakkara celebrates his Sachin Tendulkar 181 14965 248* 56.25 51 61 27th Test hundred on the first day Rahul Dravid 157 12775 270 53.00 35 60 of the third Test Match against Ricky Ponting 154 12487 257 53.13 39 56 Pakistan in Sharjah yesterday. He Brian Lara 131 11953 400* 52.88 34 48 also became the fastest batsman Jacques Kallis 145 11947 201* 57.43 40 54 to score 9000 Test runs overtaking Alan Border 156 11174 205 50.56 27 63 India’s Rahul Dravid. Steve Waugh 168 10927 200 51.06 32 50 Pic by Lakruwan Wanniarachchi. Sunil Gavaskar 125 10122 236* 51.12 34 45 Mahela Jayawardene 125 9895 374 51.53 29 40 Shiv Chanderpaul 135 9493 203* 49.18 23 56 Kumar Sangakkara 103 9034 287 56.81 26 38 REX CLEMENTINE reporting from Sharjah Association Stadium where he also com- World Records keep following him. pleted his 27th Test There was another yesterday as Kumar hundred and the sev- Sangakkara became the fastest batsman enth against to score 9000 Test runs when he beat Pakistan. Rahul Dravid’s record on the opening day With over 1750 of the third and final Test Match against runs to his name in Pakistan here at the Sharjah Cricket Tests against Pakistan, Sangakkara is well-deserved hundred having shown also now the highest run getter in Tests remarkable application against a disci- SCOREBOARD between the countries overtaking anoth- plined attack. Dilshan made 92 off 168 Sri Lanka 1st Innings er giant of world cricket Inzamam-ul- balls with 12 fours and a six. T. Paranavitana c Younus b Gul 4 Haq. He was unbeaten on 112 at stumps Sri Lanka didn’t lose any wickets in T. Dilshan c Younus b Ajmal 92 with Sri Lanka on 245 for two as the visi- the second session as well, but after tea, K. Sangakkara not out 112 tors were on top on the opening day of the Saeed Ajmal, bowling round the wicket, M. Jayawardene not out 32 Test Match for the first time in many dismissed him with a doosra when Extras: (3lb, 2nb) 5 games. Younus Khan at first slip took a low catch. Total: (for two wickets) 245 Sangakkara, who celebrated his 34th Sangakkara, who had last year broken 10,000 runs. missal. Overs: 86. birthday recently, walked into the middle Sir Gary Sobers’ long standing record for The former Sri Lanka captain was Sri Lanka came into the Test with two Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-177. in the first over of the morning after fastest batsman to reach 8000 runs in Test cautious after tea as he took 90 minutes to changes by leaving out Lahiru To bat: Angelo Mathews, Kaushal Silva, Kosala Umar Gul had dismissed Tharanga cricket began the day yesterday requiring score 14 runs. But he broke the shackles Thirimanne and Suranga Lakmal. Off- Kualasekara, Suraj Randiv, Dhammika Prasad, Paranavithana caught at second slip by 28 runs to score 9000 runs. He reached the against Junaid by hitting him for three spinner Suraj Randiv was brought into Rangana Herath, Chanaka Welegedara. Younus Khan. milestone, becoming only the second Sri fours in an over. The first two were ele- the side while all-rounder Kosala Bowling: Gul 17-6-43-1 (1nb), Junaid 17-2-63-0 He saw through the first session with Lankan to achieve this feat, by pulling gant drives off successive balls while the Kulasekara made his debut. Pakistan, (1nb), Ajmal 27-3-71-1, Rehman 24-5-62-0, Hafeez captain Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was Junaid Khan for four. third was a ferocious pull shot to take him meanwhile, played an unchanged side. 1-0-3-0. back as an opener having played three He broke Rahul Dravid’s record, estab- two runs short of his 27th Test hundred. Sri Lanka require to win this Test to Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, games in the middle order. lished in 2006. Dravid had got to 9000 runs He reached three figures in style by keep their number five ICC ranking. They Azhar Ali, Younus Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Asad There was a confident appeal turned in 176 innings while Sangakkara did it in lofting the left-arm-spin of Abdur have not won a Test Match in one and half Shafiq, Adnan Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, down in the last over before lunch against four fewer innings than the former Rehman for a six, once again doing the years, having gone through 13 Tests with- Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan. Dilshan for caught behind off Umar Gul. Indian captain. The fastest to 10,000 runs rescue act for the side after an early dis- out a win. Toss: SL But television replays were inconclusive is Sangakkara’s role model Brian Lara, Umpires: S. Tarapore (Ind) and S. Taufel (Aus) whether the ball had brushed the glove of who had reached there in 195 innings and Third Umpire: Shozab Raza (Pak) the Sri Lankan captain. if his form continues he will have the Match Referee: D. Boon (Aus) He was unfortunate to miss out on a grand triple of fastest to 8000, 9000 and Sanga, a role model for all – Marvan REX CLEMENTINE REPORTING FROM SHARJAH Tillakaratne Dilshan for the second Former Sri Lanka captain and the wicket. Sri Lanka ended the day on 245 batting coach of the national cricket for two with Sangakkara unbeaten on team Marvan Atapattu had lavish praise 112. “The feeling inside the dressing for Kumar Sangakkara after the left-han- room is very good. We have missed some der became the fastest batsman to score good opportunities after the batsmen 9000 runs in Test cricket yesterday. have got starts. That’s something that we Sangakkara, who last year became spoke about and worked on and I am the fastest batsman to score 8000 Test glad that it came right,” he added runs, broke Rahul Dravid’s record for Atapattu admitted that batting col- the fastest batsman to reach 9000 runs in lapses in the past few months had been four innings fewer than the former frustrating for him as the Batting Coach. Indian captain. “It was frustrating from my point of “He’s a fantastic player. He is hungry view simply because we know the talent for runs and was very upset when he we have. It is pressure. It is not like missed out on a couple of opportunities being a player. A player looks after him- against Australia. He looks to me as he self and he knows his game. Here I am is getting better by the day,” Atapattu looking after so many. Sometimes you told journalists yesterday. feel bad and you have very little control A technically correct Atapattu used over a player or a unit. Even the boys to be the role model for young Sri are disappointed. Hopefully it will go out Lankan batsmen and he agreed with some good scores. I remember we Sangakkara has replaced him as the getting 500 plus on 11 consecutive occa- country’s premier batsman. “He is far sions in 2000-2001 and I am sure those ahead by all means and he deserves to days will come.” be,” Atapattu said. “Nice to have a sen- Sri Lanka have included two special- ior like him where young guys like ist spinners in the side in Rangana Thirmanne and Chandimal just by look- Herath and Suraj Randiv and Atapattu ing at his routines can learn. Mahela is expected spin to play a big role in the the same. Both of them are so organized game. “We have included two front line and their preparation and how they spinners. The captain can bowl a bit of think about will make young players off-spin as well. There are two patches good cricketers.” just in front of the batsman. I think the Sangakkara walked into the middle spinners should play a major role. I in the first over of the morning after don’t know how the wicket will behave, Tharanga Paranavithana was dismissed but I hope it will turn on the fourth and early and added 173 runs with fifth days.” Friday 4th November, 2011.