Home Cricket National Cricket Pathum Nissanka creates history on Test debut

Pathum Nissanka creates history on Test debut

Sri Lanka tour of West Indies, 2021

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Pathum Nissanka
Pathum Nissanka made a century on his Test debut while Niroshan Dickwella missed his maiden century by 4 runs | Credits - gettyimages

A debut Test century from the 22-year-old Pathum Nissanka and his record-breaking partnership with Niroshan Dickwella guided Sri Lanka to 476 runs in the second innings on day four of the first Test match against West Indies at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua as the visitors set a target of 375 runs.

Sri Lanka started their day on 255 for 4 with a lead of 153 as their set pair Dhananjaya de Silva and debutant Pathum Nissanka returned to the middle but the senior partner De Silva had to walk back to the dressing room within five balls soon after he reached his half century.

Niroshan Dickwella joined Nissanka and made sure there wouldn’t be any collapse as in the first innings. Pathum Nissanka looked calm and composed against the West Indian attack as he was not troubled by the pace of the opposition attack or the movement of the duke ball. It was heartening to watch a 22-year-old batting with such maturity on his debut game in West Indian conditions.

Read – Sri Lanka on top after a record partnership between Fernando and Thirimanne

Nissanka became the highest scorer of the innings, completing a brilliant century, batting for 252 deliveries. While doing so, he became only the 4th Sri Lankan to become Test centurion on his Test debut but the specialty was he was the only one to do it outside home.

Test hundreds on debut by Sri Lankans

  • Brendon Kuruppu 201* vs New Zealand in 1987
  • Romesh Kaluwitharana 132* vs Australia in 1992
  • Thian Samaraweera 103* vs India in 2001
  • Pathum Nissanka 103 vs West Indies in 2021

Sri Lanka needed their last recognized batsmen to set a huge target on the board to challenge the opposition and they did exactly that. In fact, the pair added a record breaking 179 runs for the 6th wicket breaking the Sri Lanka record for the highest partnership on West Indian soil for any wicket which was renewed earlier in the same innings by Oshada Fernando and Lahiru Thirimanne. It was also the highest 6th wicket partnership for Sri Lanka against the hosts.

Read more – Charith Asalanka blasts 178 as the domestic 50-over tournament kicks off in style

Highest partnership for Sri Lanka in Caribbean for any wicket

  • 179 – Pathum Nissanka & Niroshan Dickwella – Antigua – 2021
  • 162 – Lahiru Thirimanne & Oshada Fernando – Antigua – 2021
  • 138 – Thilan Samaraweera & Chaminda Vaas – Port of Spain – 2008

Highest 6th wicket partnership for Sri Lanka against West Indies

  • 179 – Pathum Nissanka & Niroshan Dickwella – Antigua – 2021
  • 165 – Thilan Samaraweera, Hashan Tillakaratne – SSC – 2001
  • 154 – Thilan Samaraweera, Hashan Tillakaratne – Galle – 2001

Meanwhile Dickwella, who was searching for his maiden Test century, missed out on a ton by just 4 runs after batting so well with Nissanka. However, Dickwella was very lucky to survive that long as he was given three lives during his innings (A drop catch by gully, Edged to keeper but umpired ruled not out, ball bounced onto the stumps but the bails weren’t dislodged)

He was dismissed by Kemar Roach off a back of length delivery which managed to find the stumps despite Dickwella’s attempt to run it to thirdman. With that half-century he now holds the most half centuries by a Test cricketer without a century.

Most Test 50s without a 100

  • 17 – Niroshan Dickwella (SL)
  • 16 – Chetan Chauhan (Ind)
  • 13 – Ken Mackay (Aus)
  • 12 – Shane Warne (Aus)

Sri Lanka managed to amass 476 runs which is the joint highest total in Caribbean for Sri Lanka equaling the record total set in 2008 in the famous Test match at Providence Stadium, Guyana.

With 375 to win, West Indies lost the wicket of John Campbell who was undone by a superb spell from Vishwa Fernando who set him up to edge one to Dickwella. That was Sri Lanka’s only success in that 20-over period where the hosts stripped 34 runs from the target.

>> Visit the Sri Lanka v West Indies 2021 Hub <<

Still all three (or four if you count the tie) results are possible in this game and a win here for Sri Lanka would do a whole lot of good to the players who had a horrid time so far in the Caribbean. Sri Lanka have only won 2 Test matches (out of previous 9 matches) in West Indies and never won a Test series there. (out of 3)

Result

Match drawn

Sri Lanka
169/10 (69.4) & 476/10 (149.5)

West Indies
271/10 (103) & 236/4 (100)

Batsmen R B 4s 6s SR
Dimuth Karunarathne c John Campbell b Rahkeem Cornwall 12 43 1 0 27.91
Lahiru Thirimanne b Jason Holder 70 180 4 0 38.89
Oshada Fernando run out () 4 11 0 0 36.36
Dinesh Chandimal c Joshua Da Silva b Jason Holder 4 25 0 0 16.00
Dhananjaya de Silva b Kemar Roach 13 26 2 0 50.00
Pathum Nissanka c Jason Holder b Kemar Roach 9 12 2 0 75.00
Niroshan Dickwella c Rahkeem Cornwall b Jason Holder 32 76 2 0 42.11
Suranga Lakmal c Kraig Brathwaite b Jason Holder 3 13 0 0 23.08
Dushmantha Chameera b Kemar Roach 2 7 0 0 28.57
Lasith Embuldeniya lbw b Jason Holder 3 15 0 0 20.00
Vishwa Fernando not out 1 11 0 0 9.09


Extras 16 (b 4 , lb 6 , nb 1, w 5, pen 0)
Total 169/10 (69.4 Overs, RR: 2.43)
Bowling O M R W Econ
Kemar Roach 16 2 47 3 2.94
Shannon Gabriel 9 2 22 0 2.44
Rahkeem Cornwall 14 6 25 1 1.79
Alzarri Joseph 11 2 32 0 2.91
Jason Holder 17.4 6 27 5 1.55
Kyle Mayers 2 0 6 0 3.00
Batsmen R B 4s 6s SR
Kraig Brathwaite c Dhananjaya de Silva b Suranga Lakmal 3 43 0 0 6.98
John Campbell c Niroshan Dickwella b Dushmantha Chameera 42 148 4 0 28.38
Nkrumah Bonner lbw b Lasith Embuldeniya 31 63 5 0 49.21
Kyle Mayers c Dhananjaya de Silva b Suranga Lakmal 45 70 6 2 64.29
Jermaine Blackwood b Suranga Lakmal 2 7 0 0 28.57
Jason Holder b Suranga Lakmal 19 61 2 0 31.15
Joshua Da Silva c Niroshan Dickwella b Dushmantha Chameera 46 124 5 0 37.10
Alzarri Joseph c Dinesh Chandimal b Suranga Lakmal 0 8 0 0 0.00
Rahkeem Cornwall b Vishwa Fernando 61 85 9 2 71.76
Kemar Roach not out 5 15 1 0 33.33
Shannon Gabriel lbw b Vishwa Fernando 0 3 0 0 0.00


Extras 17 (b 1 , lb 6 , nb 9, w 1, pen 0)
Total 271/10 (103 Overs, RR: 2.63)
Bowling O M R W Econ
Suranga Lakmal 25 9 47 5 1.88
Vishwa Fernando 17 6 52 2 3.06
Dushmantha Chameera 22 1 71 2 3.23
Lasith Embuldeniya 28 6 64 1 2.29
Dhananjaya de Silva 11 2 30 0 2.73
Batsmen R B 4s 6s SR
Lahiru Thirimanne b Kemar Roach 76 201 4 0 37.81
Dimuth Karunarathne c John Campbell b Kemar Roach 3 13 0 0 23.08
Oshada Fernando c Joshua Da Silva b Kyle Mayers 91 149 11 0 61.07
Dinesh Chandimal c Joshua Da Silva b Kyle Mayers 4 9 0 0 44.44
Dhananjaya de Silva b Alzarri Joseph 50 79 6 0 63.29
Pathum Nissanka c Kemar Roach b Rahkeem Cornwall 103 252 6 0 40.87
Niroshan Dickwella b Kemar Roach 96 163 8 0 58.90
Suranga Lakmal run out () 8 24 0 0 33.33
Lasith Embuldeniya c Kyle Mayers b Rahkeem Cornwall 6 9 0 0 66.67
Dushmantha Chameera c Jason Holder b Rahkeem Cornwall 10 11 0 1 90.91
Vishwa Fernando not out 0 0 0 0 0.00


Extras 29 (b 13 , lb 5 , nb 11, w 0, pen 0)
Total 476/10 (149.5 Overs, RR: 3.18)
Bowling O M R W Econ
Kemar Roach 27 3 74 3 2.74
Shannon Gabriel 18 2 67 0 3.72
Jason Holder 22 4 40 0 1.82
Alzarri Joseph 21 2 83 1 3.95
Rahkeem Cornwall 42.5 4 137 3 3.22
Kraig Brathwaite 9 1 30 0 3.33
Kyle Mayers 9 2 24 2 2.67
Jermaine Blackwood 1 0 3 0 3.00


Batsmen R B 4s 6s SR
Kraig Brathwaite b Lasith Embuldeniya 23 124 0 0 18.55
John Campbell c Niroshan Dickwella b Vishwa Fernando 11 15 2 0 73.33
Nkrumah Bonner not out 113 274 13 1 41.24
Kyle Mayers c Lahiru Thirimanne b Lasith Embuldeniya 52 113 5 0 46.02
Jermaine Blackwood b Vishwa Fernando 4 29 0 0 13.79
Jason Holder not out 18 48 4 0 37.50


Extras 15 (b 4 , lb 8 , nb 3, w 0, pen 0)
Total 236/4 (100 Overs, RR: 2.36)
Bowling O M R W Econ
Suranga Lakmal 25 10 33 0 1.32
Vishwa Fernando 19 0 73 2 3.84
Lasith Embuldeniya 28 9 62 2 2.21
Dushmantha Chameera 18 3 44 0 2.44
Dhananjaya de Silva 10 5 12 0 1.20