Kumar Sangakkara became the third batsman after Australian Don Bradman and West Indian Brian Lara to score eight or more double hundreds in Test cricket.
The former Sri Lankan skipper reached this milestone by hitting 211 off 431 balls with 18 fours in Sri Lankan second innings on the fifth and final day of the first Test match against Pakistan at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Saturday (October 21).
Kumar Sangakkara’s eighth double hundred came in the 169th innings of 101st Test match. It was his second double hundred against Pakistan in 21 innings of 11 Test matches. Sangakkara’s previous double hundred against Pakistan was 230 in 480 minutes off 327 balls with 33 fours and three sixes at Lahore in 2001-02.
Australian Don Bradman scored 12 double hundreds in 80 innings of 52 Tests while West Indian Brian Lara made nine double hundreds in 232 innings of 131 Tests.
Kumar Sangakkara scored five doubles hundreds in 91 innings of 58 Test matches at home while he made three double centuries in 78 innings of 43 Test matches outside Sri Lanka.
- Kumar Sangakkara and Prasanna Jayawardene set up a new record for the sixth wicket for Sri Lanka against Pakistan by adding 201 runs. It was Sri Lanka’s second best sixth wicket stand in Test cricket after 351-run stand between Mahela Jayawardene and Prasanna Jayawardene against India at Ahmedabad in 2009-10. Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga who added 121 runs at Faisalabad in 1985-86 held the previous record for Sri Lanka against Pakistan.
- Saeed Ajmal recorded his worst bowling performance in an innings by conceding 167 runs in 55 overs for one wicket. His previous worst was one for 150 off 46 overs against Australia at Melbourne in 2009-10. The right-arm off break bowler also became the third Pakistani bowler on four occasions to concede 150 or more runs in an innings against Sri Lanka. Danish Kaneria did the same twice, three for 170 at Karachi and 0 for 183 at Lahore in the 2008-09 series while Saqlain Mushtaq conceded 171 runs for one wicket in 42.5 overs at Colombo in 1996-97.
- Kumar Sangakkara received his 13th man of the match award in 101 Test matches. It was his fourth such award in 11 Test matches against Pakistan.