Sri Lanka demolished South Africa by 278 runs in the first Test match in Galle and took a 1-0 lead in the 2 Test match series. After opting to bat first Sri Lanka posted a respectable total of 287 runs in the first innings on a turning track with the help of opener Dimuth Karunaratne's 158* runs.
And it turned out to be a great total as the South African batsmen failed to pick Sri Lankan spinners and were bowled out for just 126 runs in their first innings and conceded a lead of 161 runs. In the second innings.
Sri Lanka scored 190 runs and set a target of 352 runs for the visitors but South African couldn't put up a fight and Lankan spinners bundled out South Africa for a mere total of 73 runs. Dimuth Karunaratne was named Man of the Match for his awesome knock of 158* runs.
All the key stats and facts from the first Test match between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Galle :
2 - Dimuth Karunaratne (158*) became the second Sri Lankan opener to carry his bat in a Test innings after Sidath Wettimuny (63* vs New Zealand at Christchurch in 1983).
8 - Number of Test centuries scored by Dimuth Karunaratne as an opener - the joint third most for Sri Lanka. Only Marvan Atapattu (16) and Sanath Jayasuriya (13) have more Test hundreds than him.
10/78 - Dilruwan Perera became the second Sri Lankan off-spinner to take 10 wickets in a Test match after Muttiah Muralitharan. And these are also career-best Test match bowling figures for Dilruwan Perera.
50 - This was the 50th Test match of Dean Elgar's career.
73 - South Africa's second innings' total of 73 runs is their lowest ever Test score since readmission (1991/92).
Lowest Test score for South Africa since readmission (1991/92)
73 vs SL at Galle, 2018
79 vs IND at Nagpur, 2015
83 vs ENG at Johannesburg, 2016
84 vs IND at Johannesburg, 2006
105 vs IND at Ahmedabad, 1996
150 - Kagiso Rabada (23 years & 50 days) became the youngest bowler to take 150 wickets in Test cricket.
Youngest to take 150 Test wickets :
Kagiso Rabada - 23 Y & 50 D
Harbhajan Singh - 23 Y & 106 D
Kapil Dev - 23 Y & 155 D
Waqar Younis - 24 Y & 86 D
421 - Dale Steyn equaled Shaun Pollock's tally of 421 Test wickets and became joint all-time leading wicket-taker for South Africa in this format.
2021 - Kusal Mendis completed 2000 Test runs in Test cricket. He is the 18th Sri Lankan player to achieve this milestone.