Cricket: Prabath Jayasuriya, a Sri Lankan spinner, breaks the “71-year-old” test record.
On the final day of the second test in Galle, Prabath Jayasuriya, a “Sri Lankan spinner,” broke the 71-year-old world record when he cleared Paul Stirling, from Ireland, and claimed his “50th test wicket”.
The 31-year-old Sri Lankan cricketer achieved victory in his 7th test and broke the record of West Indies cricketer Alf Valentine, who collected 50 wickets in the fewest number of games.
His emergence in the test format has made him a sensation. In July 2022, he played his first match against Australia and recorded the fourth-best debut match statistics.
Six different times, including 5/174 in Ireland’s opening innings of the second Test at Galle, Jayasuriya has taken “5 wickets” in an inning. For the third time in a game, he only needs a five-wicket haul in the second innings to reach 10 wickets.
Before Jayasuriya, the record was made by Valentine, after he debuted in 1950, he made a significant impact right away. He led the team of West Indies to win a Test series in England, with 33 wickets in four Test matches.
During the fourth Test of the West Indies 1951–1952 tour of Australia, the “left-arm spinner” recorded his 50th victory. He created a world record that stood for more than “71 years” by accomplishing the feat in his eighth match.
The spinner from Sri Lanka can now attempt to break the record for most matches by “reaching 100 wickets.”
In 1896, George Lohmann, a fast bowler from England, recorded his 100th “Test wicket” in his 16th match; leg-spinners Yasir Shah of Pakistan and Clarrie Grimmett of Australia were two other bowlers to accomplish the feat in their “17th match.”
Together with Tom Richardson, England, and Vernon Philander, South Africa, Jayasuriya has now broken the record and is the “second-fastest” player overall to reach the “50-wicket milestone.”
In seven Test matches, the two fast bowlers each took 50 wickets. This achievement was accomplished by Richardson in “1896” and by Philander in “2012.”
