Sri Lanka's top 5 lowest totals in Tests ft. SA vs SL 2024
Sri Lanka entered into the history books for all the wrong reasons when they were bowled out for 42 in the first innings of the opening Test against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban on Thursday, November 28.
SA batted first, and were bowled out for 192. In reply, a lot was expected from the Lankans, but they were skittled out for a mere 42 inside 13.5 overs. Left arm pacer Marco Jansen starred with figures of 7-13.
This has now become the ninth-lowest total in the history of Test cricket, and the Lankans will be keen on forgetting it as soon as possible and starting afresh. They will want to bat deeper and better in their second innings.
In this listicle, we take a look at Sri Lanka's top five lowest totals in Tests:
#1 42 vs South Africa, 2024
The 42 all out against South Africa in this Test in Durban is the lowest-ever innings total for Sri Lanka so far. Their batters seemed to be ill at ease against the Proteas' seamers and struggled for consistency throughout their time in the middle. South Africa did not even have to turn to their spinners in this innings.
Their seamers Kagiso Rabada (2), Marco Jansen (7) and Gerald Coetzee (1) shared all ten Sri Lankan wickets amongst themselves and ensured that the visitors did not get a whiff of a chance to make a comeback. However, this match is still going on, and one must wait and watch what the result ends up being.
#2 71 vs Pakistan, 1994
The second-lowest total Sri Lanka have amassed in Test cricket is 71 in the first innings of the Kandy Test against Pakistan in 1994. Batting first, the Lankans were veritably blown away by the storm unleashed by Pakistan's legendary seamers Wasim Akram (4-32) and Waqar Younis (6-34).
Wicketkeeper-batter Pubudu Dassanayake was the leading run-scorer for Sri Lanka in that innings with an unbeaten 19. Pakistan amassed 357/9 in their innings and then whittled out the hosts for 234 runs in the second innings. The visitors won this Test by a fair margin of an innings and 52 runs.
#3 73 vs Pakistan, 2006
Sri Lanka's third-lowest total in Tests also came against Pakistan at the same venue as their second-lowest, Kandy. This time around, they were bowled out for a mere 73 in their second innings.
In the first innings, the hosts had batted well to put up 279 runs on the board thanks to a brilliant 79 from wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Sangakkara. Pakistan, in reply, were bowled out for a meagre 170 runs.
In the second dig, the SL batting order collapsed completely and they were bowled out for 73. Mohammad Asif (5-27) and Abdul Razzaq (4-20) were the destroyers-in-chief for Pakistan. The visitors then chased 183 runs down to win the match.
#4 81 vs England, 2001
Sri Lanka's fourth-lowest total is that of 81 against England at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo in 2001. Played in March, Sri Lanka did well to put up 241 on the board in the first innings thanks to Mahela Jayawardene's 71 off 152 balls. Skipper Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara also chipped in with 45 runs each.
England responded with 249 owing to the late Graham Thorpe's 113 but the Lankans were dismissed cheaply for 81 in their second innings. Left-arm spinner Ashley Giles starred with 4-11 and made sure that the going got easy for the visitors.
England needed 74 runs to win the Test, and they did so comfortably.
#5 82 vs India, 1990
The 82 all-out Sri Lanka suffered against India in Chandigarh in 1990 is their fifth-lowest total ever in Test cricket. The hosts put up a splendid 288 runs on the board in the first innings and then bowled the Lankans out for a measly 82 in which Asanka Gurusinha top-scored with 52 not out.
Former Hyderabad captain Venkatapathy Raju was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 6-12 and starred again with 2-25 in the second innings in which the visitors were bowled out for 198. India won the only Test of the series by an innings and 8 runs due to Raju's heroics.