Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara became the fifth batsman and the fastest among them to score 12,000 runs in Test matches. Starting his innings with 11,995 runs, Sangakkara achieved this feat by knocking Trent Boult to the square-leg for two. Sangakkara received a standing ovation from the Wellington crowd for reaching this landmark.
He is also the first Sri Lankan to feature in the list of batsmen to have scored 12,000 Test runs which has the likes of India’s Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, South Africa’s Jacques Kallis and Australia’s Ricky Ponting.
Sangakkara also became the fastest among the five batsmen to achieve this feat. Sangakkara did it in his 224 innings, 23 innings lesser than Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting who achieved the feat in 247 innings.
The 37-year-old left hander averages over 58 in 130 Tests with 37 Test centuries, with a highest of 319 against Bangladesh in Chittagong in February 2014, the year in which he almost scored 1500 Test runs.
Sangakkara’s 33 not out helped his side, who are still struggling on 78-5 after the Kiwis were all out for 221 on day one of the second Test in Wellington.
|
S.No |
Batsman |
Team |
Matches/Innings |
Runs |
|
1 |
Sachin Tendulkar |
India |
200/329 |
15,921 |
|
2 |
Ricky Ponting |
Australia |
168/287 |
13,378 |
|
3 |
Jacques Kallis |
South Africa |
166/280 |
13,289 |
|
4 |
Rahul Dravid |
India |
164/286 |
13,288 |
|
5 |
Kumar Sangakkara* |
Sri Lanka |
129/233 |
12,026 |
*Sangakkara is still playing Test cricket whereas others retired.
**Stats updated till 3 January 2015