8
The number of times visiting captains have sent the home team, India, in to bat after winning the toss. The last time it happened before the Kolkata Test against Sri Lanka was 16 years ago, in February 2001, when Steve Waugh put India in to bat at the Wankhede Stadium.
Visiting sides sending home side to bat after winning toss in India
31
The number of instances when a wicket fell off the very first ball of a Test match. The latest instance happened on the opening day of the Kolkata Test, when Sri Lankan pace bowler Suranga Lakmal claimed the wicket of L. Rahul, off the very first ball of the match. Incidentally, Australian Arthur Coningham was the first bowler to achieve this, 122 years ago, on December 29, 1894. He did so against England in the Ashes series of 1894-95, when he claimed the wicket of Archie MacLaren. It was not only the first ball of the match, but also Coningham’s first ball he delivered on his Test debut!
2
The number of instances when Sri Lankan bowlers have managed to claim a wicket off the very first ball of the match. And on both occasions, it was Suranga Lakmal, who now has the distinction of being the only Sri Lankan bowler to do so, not once but twice! Nearly seven years ago, on December 1, 2010, he had also claimed West Indian Chris Gayle at Pallekele off the first ball of the match. Incidentally, it was the first ever delivery to be bowled in a Test match at Pallekele!
6
The number of Indian batsmen dismissed off the first ball of a Test match. For the record, Sunil Gavaskar has been dismissed so thrice! The table below has the details:
Indian openers dismissed first ball of the match
+ wicket-keeper
# on 2 day. No play on 1 day!
Gavaskar and Bangladeshi Hannan Sarkar have done it most times – on three occasions!
Both Wasim Jaffer and L Rahul were dismissed off the very first ball of the series!
Lokesh Rahul previous seven innings in Tests since March 2017 before this first ball duck: 90, 51; 67; 60, 51*; 57; 85
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