Sri Lankan batter Pathum Nissanka on Monday joined the elite company of Don Bradman, Graeme Smith, and Gordon Greenidge, among others, becoming the seventh batter to have smashed a century in successful run-chases on English soil.
Nissanka accomplished this feat during the third Test against England at The Oval. After a fine half-century in the first innings, Nissanka smashed an unbeaten 127 in 124 balls, with 13 fours and two sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of over 102 in the run-chase of 219 runs.
Other players to have smashed centuries in England during successful run-chases are: West Indies’ Greenidge (214* in 1984), Arthur Morris of Australia (182 in 1948), Australian legend Bradman (173* in 1948), South Africa’s Smith (154* in 2008), West Indies’ Shai Hope (118* in 2017) and West Indies’ Conrad Hunte (108* in 1963).
Nissanka has become only fifth Sri Lankan batter to have slammed a match-winning fourth-innings century, besides Kusal Perera (153* against South Africa in Durban, 2019), Aravinda de Silva (143* against Zimbabwe in Colombo, 1998), Mahela Jayawardene (123 against South Africa in Colombo in 2006) and Dimuth Karunaratne (122 against New Zealand at Galle in 2019).
Nissanka has now surpassed his teammate Kusal Mendis (1,111 runs in 32 matches) to become the top run-getter in international cricket this calendar year.
In 2024, Nissanka scored 1,135 runs in 23 matches and 25 innings at an average of 54.04, with four centuries and four fifties. His best score is 210*.
Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is at number three, with 1,033 runs in 19 innings at an average of 60.76, with two centuries and five fifties, and a best score of 214*.
Another Sri Lankan batter made his way to the record books with Dimuth Karunaratne becoming just the fourth batter for Sri Lanka to score the 7,000-run landmark in the Test format.
Karunaratne scored just 17 runs across both innings which proved to be enough to claim his stake as one of Sri Lanka’s Test greats.
He joined the elite 7,000-run Test club that features Kumar Sangakkara (12,400), Mahela Jayawardene (11,814) and Angelo Mathews (7,734).
Karunaratne had a below par series scoring just 108 runs in six innings at a mere average of 18.00.
Despite Karunaratne’s disappointing display with the bat, Nissanka made the headlines with his blitzkrieg on Day Four in the third Test. He produced his variation of England’s ‘Bazball’ style of play and raced to 127* in 124 deliveries at a strike rate of 102.42.
He made the headlines by singlehandedly propelling the visitors to a historic 8-wicket win at Kennington Oval to avoid a series sweep as England won the series 2-1.
