Statistical highlights from the third day's play of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka.
# Cheteshwar Pujara (52) has registered his first fifty (apart from three hundreds) vs Sri Lanka in Tests -- his 16th overall.
# Pujara has become the first Indian batsman to race to 900 runs this year in Tests -- his tally being 903 at an average of 69.46 in nine Tests, including three hundreds and five fifties.
# Since 2015, Pujara has been batting consistently, aggregating 2086 at an average of 59.60 in 25 Tests – the highest among the Indian batsmen since 2015 (minimum 500 runs) -- the next best being 54.85 by Virat Kohli.
# India's score of 172 is their second lowest total vs Sri Lanka in Tests on the Indian soil, next only to the 167 at Chennai in December 2005.
# Dilruwan Perera (2/19) has produced his best bowling performance vs India in Tests, obliterating the 1 for 67 at Galle in July this year.
# Lakmal's bowling figures (19-12-26-4) vs India are his second best in Tests behind the 5 for 63 vs South Africa at Port Elizabeth in 2016-17.
# Lakmal's economy rate in calendar year 2017 in Tests is splendid -- his figures being 19 wickets (ave. 34.26) in eight Tests at an economy rate of 2.82.
# Lahiru Thirimanne's fifth fifty in Tests is his second vs India. His first fifty against India was 62 off 168 balls at Colombo (PSS) in August 2015.
# Angelo Matthews has posted his 28th fifty in Tests -- his fourth vs India.
# Matthews was in splendid form in 2013 and 2014 in Tests. In 2013, he had amassed 373 runs at an average of 74.60 in four Tests while in 2014, he had managed 1160 runs at an average of 77.33 in eleven Tests. His average fell to 42.25 in 2015 while calendar years -- 2016 (28.84) and 2017 (29.23) have been his worst.
# Mohammed Shami (24 off 22 balls) has produced his second best strike rate (109.09) in an innings of 20-plus in Tests -- his best being 141.66 during his innings of 34 off 24 balls vs Australia at Adelaide in December 2014.
