Is India the best visiting team in Sri Lanka (Tests)?
What's the story
Team India's 1-0 series victory over Sri Lanka has been marred by a drawn second and final Test, thanks to Sonal Dinusha's twin centuries. The match ended in a stalemate at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Thursday. Though Shubman Gill's team would have hoped to seal the Colombo affair as well, the 1-0 result helped India clinch their third successive Test series win on Sri Lankan soil. Here we analyze whether Test India is the best visiting Test side in Sri Lanka or not.
Stats
India only behind Pakistan
As per Cricinfo, India have played a total of 26 Tests on Sri Lankan soil - winning 10 and losing 7 (9 draws).
Pakistan (11) are the only visiting side to win more Tests in the island nation.
India share the second place with Australia.
The last time India lost a Test match in the island nation was back in 2015.
Win/loss ratio
Which team has the best win-loss ratio?
Pakistan (11-9), India (10-7), Australia (10-5), and England (9-5) are the only visiting teams with more wins than defeats in Sri Lanka (Tests).
Coming to the win-loss ratio, India (1.428) are only behind Australia (2) and England (1.8) in this regard.
However, India have won six of their seven Tests in Sri Lanka since their defeat in the 2015 Galle Test, which ended on August 17.
England (5 wins in as many games) are the only team without a Test loss in the nation in this period.
Series wins
India boast four series wins in Sri Lanka
India have so far won four of their nine bilateral Test series on Sri Lankan soil, while losing three.
Australia (6, including one versus Pakistan) and Pakistan (5) are the only teams with more series triumphs in the island nation.
Like India, England also have four series wins in this regard.
These numbers reflect that the likes of Australia, England, and Pakistan have enjoyed better campaigns in Sri Lanka.
India, however, have been dominant since 2015.