Sri Lankan spinner: The first Test between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in Galle ended in a draw. This result, however, has left Tiger cricket fans disappointed. According to many, Bangladesh could have had a chance to win if they had declared their innings a little earlier. Chasing a target of 296 runs, the Sri Lankans ended the fifth day at 72 for 4. In this match, debutant Sri Lankan spinner Tharindu Shanthi set a record for the highest run-scoring against the Tigers.
Until now, the record for conceding the most runs against Bangladesh in a Test match was held by Zimbabwean star all-rounder Sikandar Raja. He conceded 237 runs in Chittagong in 2014. He was surpassed by two Sri Lankans in the Galle Test that ended yesterday. Despite taking 6 wickets in two innings, Tharindu Rattanaike conceded 298 runs. This is the record for conceding the most runs against Bangladesh.
This is a precedent for Bangladesh’s opponent. Tharindu Rattanaike has also made it to the top three in the list of highest runs conceded in Tests as a debutant cricketer. The 29-year-old spin all-rounder made his international debut in the Galle Test. The two-armed spinner, who has taken 337 wickets in 73 first-class cricket, was the most expensive in the second innings. He conceded 196 runs in 49.2 overs. The economy was 3.97, which is the highest by a Sri Lankan bowler in a Test innings. Apart from this, no other player in the country has conceded so many runs in a single Test.
Tharindu, however, survived the half-century for two. Who are at the top of the record for conceding more runs in a Test. Australian off-spinner Jason Kreiza, who conceded 358 runs against India on his Test debut in Nagpur in 2008. Despite taking 12 wickets in two innings (8 and 4 respectively), he still holds the embarrassing record for conceding the most runs in a Test. Pakistan’s Zahid Mehmood, who is second, scored 319 runs for 6 wickets against England in 2022.
Apart from this, the top 10 in this list of runs conceded in a Test are Tharindu Ratnayake (298/6), England’s Donald Carr (282/7) and Titch Freeman (258/5), Australia’s Frank Ward (240/8), England’s Doug Wright (238/5), India’s Karn Sharma (238/4) and Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed (234/11). Among Bangladeshi bowlers, the record for the highest run conceded in a Test is in the name of Sohag Gazi. His bowling figures against the West Indies in 2012 were 219/9. Apart from this, Nahid Rana gave away 215 runs for 5 wickets against the Sri Lankans last year.
Meanwhile, another Sri Lankan spinner, Prabath Jayasuriya, also set a record for conceding runs. Jayasuriya gave away 246 runs in this match, which is the second highest against Bangladesh. In total, Tharindu-Jayasuriya gave away 544 runs in a match. Apart from this, both Tharindu and Jayasuriya set a record of conceding more than 240 runs at home.
FAQ
Who is the Sri Lankan spinner mentioned in the title?
The title refers to a Sri Lankan spin bowler who made headlines by scoring the most runs against Bangladesh by a spinner.
What is the record he broke or set?
He holds the record for scoring the highest number of runs by a spinner in a match or series against Bangladesh.
Is this record for a single match or overall performance?
It could refer to either a single Test or ODI match, or total runs across multiple games—depending on the context.
What format of cricket is this record in?
The record may belong to Test, ODI, or T20I cricket. Most likely, it’s from a Test match where spinners often bat longer.
Has any spinner from another country come close to this record?
While some spinners have had strong batting performances against Bangladesh, this Sri Lankan spinner’s score stands out as the highest.
Was this spinner known for his batting before?
Some spinners are handy with the bat, but this achievement is notable because bowlers aren’t usually expected to score big runs.
