Prabath Jayasuriya starred as Sri Lanka defeated New Zealand by just 88 runs in the first innings of the ongoing second Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle.

Earlier in the game, Sri Lanka had declared their innings at a mammoth 602/5. After taking a huge lead of 514 runs, the hosts imposed the continuation. New Zealand had their backs to the wall after conceding the huge total and needed a herculean effort with the bat to recover.

However, the visitors had a disastrous batting display as they could not even reach the 100-run mark. The Black Caps lost wickets at regular intervals from the beginning. At one point, they were reeling at 53 for 7 before a 29-run knock from Mitchell Santner helped them cross the 80-run mark.

Barring Santner, no other New Zealand batsman could score more than 13 runs. Apart from Santner, Rachin Ravindra (10) and Daryl Mitchell (13) were the only other players to reach the double-digit mark during the disastrous batting display.

Prabath Jayasuriya sweeps New Zealand:

Prabath Jayasuriya continued his good form in the ongoing series. After picking up 9 wickets in the first Test, the left-arm spinner claimed six wickets in the first innings of the ongoing SL vs NZ Test. The New Zealand players once again seemed almost clueless against the roulette wheel as they fell like a deck of cards.

The brilliant 6-wicket spell also saw Prabath Jayasuriya, as well as his teammate and captain Dhananjaya de Silva, enter the record books. They became the second Sri Lankan duo in which a fielder took five catches from the same bowler in a Test innings. Overall, they became the fifth duo to accomplish the feat.

England’s Bob Taylor and Ian Botham were the first to reach the milestone in 1980, when the former made five catches. In 1998, Mark Boucher of South Africa took five catches in Allan Donald’s bowling against England. In 2004, Australia’s Adam Gilchrist took five catches off the bowling of Michael Kasprowicz against Sri Lanka.

In 2021, a Sri Lankan duo achieved the feat for the first time when Lahiru Thirimanne took five catches off the bowling of Lasith Embuldeniya against England. Incidentally, they had created the puck in Galle, the same place where the ongoing Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand is being played.

Here is a list showing fielders taking five catches from the same pitcher in a Test inning:

Ian Botham’s Bob Taylor v India, 1980 Allan Donald’s Mark Boucher v England, 1998 Michael Kasprowicz’s Adam Gilchrist Darwin v Sri Lanka, 2004 Lasith Embuldeniya’s Lahiru Thirimanne v England, 2021 Prabath Jayasuriya’s Dhananjaya de Silva v New Zealand, 2024