Dimuth Karunaratne slams 30th Test fifty: Decoding his stats
What's the story
Sri Lankan skipper Dimuth Karunaratne hammered a solid 86-run knock on Day 2 of the second Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday. The southpaw fell short of a deserving century in the end. However, his 152-run stand alongside Kusal Mendis helped Sri Lanka end the day on 184/2. The Lankans had earlier bowled the Aussies out for 364. Here's more.
Knock
A solid knock on offer
Karunaratne scored 86 from 165 balls, slamming 10 fours. He used his feet well against Nathan Lyon and enjoyed batting. He also dispatched anything that was bowled loose by the pacers. The hallmark of the Lankan batting was the crucial stand between Karunaratne and Mendis. Karunaratne was finally dismissed by Mitchell Swepson, who trapped him LBW.
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Karunaratne slams his 30th Test fifty
Karunaratne has raced to 5,905 runs at 39.89. The southpaw slammed his 30th Test fifty. He also has 14 centuries under his belt. Notably, Karunaratne has surpassed former West Indian stalwart Ramnaresh Sarwan in terms of runs (5,842) and England's Marcus Trescothick (5,825).
Test career
3,000 runs on home soil in Tests
Karunaratne has surpassed the 3,000-run mark at home in Tests. He has scored 3,018 runs at 49.47. This was his 14th Test fifty at home. He also has nine centuries on home soil. In away Tests, he has 2,383 runs at 30.55. He has slammed four tons and 14 fifties. At neutral venues, he has notched 504 runs at 56.00 (1 ton, 2 fifties).
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400 Test runs versus Australia
The 34-year-old has gone past 400 Test runs against Australia (412). This was his third Test fifty and his best score as well versus the Aussies. It's also his maiden Test fifty at home versus the Aussies.
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700-plus runs in the ongoing WTC 2021-23 cycle
Karunaratne is now the sixth-highest scorer in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 cycle. He has scored 729 runs at 52.07. He has two tons and 4 fifties. He is the top run-scorer for the Lankans in the current cycle.