5 things to remember about India's previous Test tour to Sri Lanka

5 Years and 5 days ago, the last Sri Lanka-India Test was concluded on 7 Aug, 2010 at Colombo. It was the 13th bilateral series between India and Sri Lanka with 6 in favour of India and 4 in Sri Lanka’s favour while 3 were drawn. The two countries have played 35 matches with India winning 14, Sri Lanka 6 and 15 drawn. The last Test series between these two Asian countries was played in July-August 2010. The series yielded 4094 runs in 3 matches, which is the 5th highest aggregate for a 3-match test series in history. Interestingly, in the list, India is a permanent entry in the top 6 series. The list is given below.3-match Test series with most runs (aggregate) No.Series/TourRuns Aggregate1.India in England, 199046402Pakistan in India, 2004/0543363.Sri Lanka in India, 2009/1041664.India in Pakistan, 2005/0641385.India in Sri Lanka, 201040946.Pakistan in India, 2007/0840362 50-Overs World Cups and 2 World T20 Cups have been played since india and Sri Lanka faced each other in a test match and thus many things from that series are likely to be forgotten by now. In this article, we will be looking at some important innings, numbers and facts from the previous series between these two nations, starting with the players in current squad who were part of that series as well.

#1 Centuries had a 11-member team

3 Matches, 11 Centuries- 4th Joint most for any 3-match Test series in history. Hundreds came in torrents and inundated almost every innings. Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara and Virender Sehwag, each had two 100 plus scores in the series, while Sachin Tendulkar, Mahela Jayawardena, Suresh Raina, Thilan Samaraweera and VVS Laxman had 1 hundred each to their names.

#2 3 Test debuts but for nothing

Raina became the 12^th Indian to score a Test ton on debut

The series also saw 3 new players taking guards and starting their Test careers. In the very first Test of the series, Abhimanyu Mithun, a player who has plied his trade in the IPL made his Test debut. He played only 4 Test matches in all these years.

The second Test had two more debuts. For India, Suresh Raina, who had been playing ODIs since 30 June 2005, made his debut.

Incidentally, the 2nd test match ended exactly 5 years from his ODI debut i.e. on 30 June 2010. Though he scored a Century on his debut, he has failed to nail down a permanent spot.

For Sri Lanka, Suraj Randiv made his debut in this match and took 11 wickets in 3 innings courtesy to 9 wickets in third test. His success against Indian batsmen earned him a place inf the final of the World Cup 2011, when he was picked a day before final from nowhere. However, his test career like the other two has been quite short and he has not played a single test since Nov 2012. He played only 12 tests in his career,

#3 Double Centurions

Sachin and Sanga scored double hundreds in the same match

Two modern day Test Greats and both show why they are the greats. Kumar Sangakkara, in the first innings of the second Test, struck his seventh double-century and got dismissed after scoring 219 runs with 29 fours, most of which must have been his drives especially his signature stroke through covers with one knee bent on the ground.

Second Innings of the Test begins and Sachin’s reputation was at stake, and he knew what to respond with. Another great, so another double century which was to become his penultimate 200 plus score. He scored 203 runs before giving away his wicket to Dilshan’s bowling. He magnified his class with 23 boundaries, many of which were straight drives.

#4 A last day win to level the series

After losing first Test and drawing the second, India entered the final Test of the series 1-0 down. They were given a target of 258 to chase down by the Lankans. India were at one stage 62-4 courtesy of the 4 wickets Suraj Randiv took and needed some miracle to be back into the game.

The miracle was granted and Sachin delivered when it was required of him. He accumulated a much needed 109 runs for 5th wicket with VVS Laxman. Though he had done enough, it still had to be carried on when he departed leaving India at 171-5.

Suresh Raina joined Laxman at the crease never to leave him again without crossing the line. The pair saw its team home with 5 wickets in hand with VVS Laxman doing most of the hard work- he scored an unbeaten 103 off 149 balls, and was declared the man of the match.

#5 Murali\'s 800

The first Test of the series was the last Test of Muralitharan’s career. He had got 792 Test wickets which were the most for any bowler in the entire history of Test cricket. Shane Warne was the next with 708 wickets.

Murali required 8 more wickets to reach 800. He got a five-for in the first innings of the match.

India were four down for 181 while Murali had bowled 18 wicketless overs. Now he required 3 from last 6 wickets provided they all fall. 800 wickets seemed a mirage. Yuvraj Singh gave him some hope by edging an off-spinner into Mahela’s hands in the first slip. Wicket number 798 for Murali but still two short from that historic moment.

Malinga and not the Indian batsmen, was the real obstacle in Murali’s dream becoming a reality. He took his 4th wicket by dismissing MS Dhoni. Murali struck back by bowling a doosra to Harbhajan and trapping him right in front of the stumps. Murali was then at 799, just 1 away from becoming the only man in the history to take 800 wickets.

3 wickets to go and Murali needed one. Malinga took the next man while Laxman was run out, making it necessary for Murali to take the only wicket now remaining. He had earlier dismissed Harbhajan on the last ball of his 21st over. Kumar Sangakkara, who was Sri Lanka’s captain, removed Malinga from the other end, probably with the intention to give Murali the chance to to take his 800th.

Pragyan Ojha and Ishant Sharma played more than 200 deliveries between them. The wait was long with each of his overs passing in extreme hope, utter excitement, deep frenzy and then a lasting disappointment. The toil he did before he could get his 800th reflected what he had done to take those 799 wickets.

And finally it came, and it came after he had bowled 141 deliveries. It was his 142nd ball since he got the 799th, and it was his typical off-spinner from around the stumps. Ojha leaned forward trying to defend it, got an outside edge, which was cleanly taken by Mahela Jayawardene by diving to his left, and Murali had got his 800th.

Last ball of his career and he reached a milestone which no current bowler is even closer to reaching.