Review of India-Sri Lanka ODIs-Jan 2023

India won the series 3-0, being the latest in a series of numerous clean sweeps against Sri Lanka. The highlight was a 317-run victory in the 3rd match, which is the biggest victory margin in any ODI. More on this topic here: https://abn397.wordpress.com/2023/01/15/record-victories-in-odis/

A total of 165 ODIs have been played between these teams.

India has won 96, Sri Lanka 57, 1 tied and 11 no-results.

In India: 39-12-0-3

In Sri Lanka: 30-28-0-6

On neutral grounds: 27-17-1-2

Interestingly, the first ODI between these teams was during the 1979 World Cup in England. Sri Lanka won. India did not win any match in that tournament.

Looking at individual performances, starting with

Batting:

Most runs (750 or more):

Headed by Tendulkar and Jayasuriya. Kohli is in 5th place.

Kohli has the most centuries (10) followed by Tendulkar with 8. For 50+ scores, Tendulkar has 25 and Sangakkara 24.

Highest innings scores (125 or more):

Headed by 2 double centuries by RG Sharma. His 264 is the record individual score in ODIs. Kohli’s 166* is in 7th place.

Highest batting averages (Minimum 20 innings and 35.00):

Headed by Dhoni with Kohli just behind.

Highest strike rates (Minimum 500 balls faced, 75.00):

Note that Sehwag is well ahead of the next (Dhawan and Jayasuriya). Kohli is 5th here.

Now for Bowling:

Most wickets (Minimum 30):

Headed by Murali (74) and Vaas (70). No recent players here.

No one has taken more than one 5wi, or more than 3 4wis.

Best innings bowling (Includes all 5wis):

Headed by Murali’s 7-30. India’s best is 6-59 by A Nehra.

Best bowling averages (Minimum 1000 balls bowled and maximum 45.00):

Headed by the unheralded AB Agarkar and BAW Mendis. Kapil and Harbhajan have the best economy rates, and Agarkar and I. Sharma the best strike rates.

Now to Fielding:

Most dismissals (Minimum 20):

Led by Dhoni, with Sangakkara some distance behind. Dhoni also has the most stumpings (25). M Jayawardene has the most catches as a fielder (38).

Most dismissals in an innings (4 or more):

Headed by Dhoni with 5 dismissals. Kaif has the most catches as a fielder (4). This was in the 2003 World Cup and was the WC record until 2015.

Highest dismissal rate (Minimum 20 innings and 0.450):

Dhoni again, with Sangakkara some distance behind.The best figures by a pure fielder are 0.454 by Mahanama and Raina.

All-round performances :

Overall (see table for criteria):

Mathews heads this list, with the next (Pathan) far behind.

Match performances:

These two performances are clearly the best.

The Dickwella phenomenon

Niroshan Dickwella is sometimes the subject of jokes involving his surname, but has attracted the attention of cricket enthusiasts for his puzzling inability to score a century.

Let us first look at:

Most 50+ scores without a century (8 and above):

Dickwella tops this list with 22 fifties, going far ahead of the previous record held by India’s CPS Chauhan which stood since 1981 until the 2020s. MA Starc is the only other current player here, and may yet make a hundred near the end of his Test career.

Also note Shane Warne whom we will meet again in this post.

Now we look at the

Most runs without a century (1500 and above):

Dickwella is 2nd here after Warne. Chauhan is in 3rd place. Other current players here are Southee and Starc.

Next we look at:

Highest batting averages without a century (Minimum 20 innings and 30.00):

This is headed by the lesser-known Asim Kamal, who made 99 on his Test debut. Dickwella is further down this list, in 10th place. His neighbours include current players C Green (Aus), HE vd Dussen (SA) and Faheem Ashraf (Pak). S Gill (Ind) also has an average above 30.

Still, Dickwella has made 96 in a Test. But there is a surprisingly large number of Test players whose top score is between 96 and 99:

9 players have a top score of 99, besides AJ Tudor who was left on 99 not out in a winning 4th-innings chase. Similarly there are many with 96, 97, 98 and 99. There are a few current players here such as MA Starc (again !), van der Dussen, Nauman Ali and newcomer J Overton who made 97 in his debut innings. They are followed by W Sundar and N Dickwella.

But the current players who have not made a Test century yet should not lose heart. Some have made their maiden centuries after a long wait. (This list may not be exhaustive):

Review of SL-WI Tests-2

Hope you have read Part 1:

Review of SL-WI Tests-1

Next we consider Bowling:

Most wickets (15 and above):

The most 5-fors were 9 by Murali and 4 by Vaas.

The most 10-fors were 3 by Murali. No one else took more than 1.

The most wickets by current players are 32 by Roach and 27 by Lakmal.

Best innings bowling (including all 6wi and above):

The best by current players is 6-70 by RTM Mendis.

Best match bowling (including all 9wm and better):

Note RTM Mendis with 11-136 among current players.

Best bowling average (Minimum 2000 balls bowled):

Only these two make the cutoff. It is interesting that Vaas has a better average than Murali.

Most dismissals (10 and above):

The most by a keeper is 26 by Ramdin, and most by a fielder is 19 by M Jayawardene.

The most by current players are 21 by keeper N Dickwella and 16 by fielder DM de Silva.

Most innings dismissals (4 and above):

Note 5 by current player J Blackwood. He has a share in the world record of catches in an innings by a fielder. Also 5 by another current player N Dickwella (a wicketkeeper).

Most match dismissals (6 and above):

Note 7 by N Dickwella among current players.

Highest dismissal rate (Minimum 20 innings):

It is interesting that fielders have the highest dismissal rates. Wicketkeepers of both sides have not got extended runs.

All-round performance (fifty and 5wi):

JO Holder’s performance would be the best.