Sri Lanka's batting debacle
Sri Lanka’s batting numbers presented a sorry picture at the end of their 3-0 series drubbing in Johannesburg
S Rajesh14-Jan-201716 Wickets lost by Sri Lanka on the third day in Johannesburg, their most in a single day of Test cricket. Their previous most was 15, on the third day of the Bangalore Test against India in January 1994.88.1 Overs faced by Sri Lanka in the entire Test; only three times have they survived fewer balls when losing 20 wickets in a Test, and two of those were also in South Africa. This is their sixth-lowest balls faced in any Test they have lost – there were two instances when one or more batsman was injured and didn’t bat in the second innings.
| Opposition | Runs | Wkts | Balls faced | Ground | Year |
| Australia | 259 | 17 | 408 | Melbourne | 2012 |
| England | 210 | 20 | 433 | Leeds | 2016 |
| South Africa | 275 | 20 | 504 | Cape Town | 2001 |
| Pakistan | 210 | 19 | 514 | Kandy | 1986 |
| South Africa | 330 | 20 | 521 | Centurion | 2011 |
| South Africa | 308 | 20 | 529 | Johannesburg | 2017 |
| Pakistan | 305 | 20 | 539 | Kandy | 1994 |
| West Indies | 375 | 18 | 619 | St John’s | 1997 |
18.8 Sri Lanka’s average runs per wicket in this series, their second-lowest in any series of three or more Tests. The only instance when they averaged lower was also in South Africa, in 2000-01, when they averaged 18.05 runs per wicket. Sri Lanka had only three 50-plus scores in the three matches, which equals their lowest in a three-Test series.59 Sri Lanka’s highest score in the series, their lowest top score in any series of two or more Tests. Their previous lowest was 77, also in South Africa, in the two-Test series in 1997-98.4 Instances of South Africa winning all Tests of a series of three or more matches. All of them have been at home – against Australia in 1969-70, against West Indies (1998-99), against Pakistan (2012-13), and this one. For Sri Lanka, this is the fifth time they have been on the receiving end of a series whitewash (three or more Tests).6 Instances of South Africa beating Sri Lanka by an innings, out of their 14 wins against them. The innings-and-118-run win was their third-largest margin of victory against Sri Lanka.
| Margin | Toss | Ground | Year |
| inns & 229 runs | lost | Cape Town | 2001 |
| inns & 208 runs | lost | Colombo (SSC) | 1993 |
| inns & 118 runs | won | Johannesburg | 2017 |
| inns & 81 runs | won | Centurion | 2011 |
| inns & 64 runs | lost | Johannesburg | 2002 |
| inns & 7 runs | lost | Centurion | 2001 |
6 Wickets for Wayne Parnell in the match, his best in a Test. In four previous Tests he had only taken seven wickets.22 Instances of Sri Lanka following on in Tests, of which three have been against South Africa. They have lost 19 of those – including all to South Africa – and drawn only three. South Africa have enforced the follow on 27 times, but the last time they did so before this Test was in December 2014, against West Indies.
