Angelo Mathews races to 7,000 Test runs: Decoding his stats
Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews scored a 47-run knock on Day 1 against New Zealand in the first Test at the Hagley Oval and in the process, he crossed 7,000 runs in the format. Mathews has been in great form for SL but he missed out on a fifty, having been dismissed by speedster Matt Henry. We decode his numbers.
Here's a look at the Day 1 summary
SL had a shaky start as they lost Oshado Fernando early. But then skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis stitched a 137-run stand but they soon faltered. Dinesh Chandimal and Mathews also made valuable contributions before getting dismissed by Tim Southee and Henry respectively. SL are 305/6 at stumps on Day 1, Southee claimed three wickets whereas Henry managed two scalps.
3rd Sri Lankan batter to score 7,000 Test runs
Mathews has surpassed Sanath Jayasuriya (6,973) by being the third SL batter to reach 7,000 runs. He is only behind Kumar Sangakkara (12,400) and Mahela Jayawardene (11,814) among SL batters in this format. He also became the third fastest to reach the landmark behind the two legends. Mathews has amassed 7,000 runs in 101 Tests at an average of 45.16. (100s: 13, 50s: 38)
Mathews: The glue that binds the Sri Lankan batting order
Mathews has been one of the greatest players to emerge from SL. In 59 home Tests, he has scored 3,640 runs at 43.33 whereas he has amassed 2,773 runs in away Tests (home of opposition) at 44.01. In neutral venues, he has scored 587 runs in 6 matches. He has slammed the most runs against Pakistan and India, having scored 1,458 and 1,051 respectively.
Here's a look at Mathews' stats versus New Zealand
Mathews has slammed 886 runs in 12 Tests against the Kiwis (100s:1, 50s:7). He has amassed 550 runs in 7 Tests in NZ at a healthy average of 55.00. His match-saving innings of 120* in the 2018 Wellington Test is his highest score against NZ. Mathews is also the only SL player to score 2 fifties at Christchurch, his average is 85.20 here.
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