Mumbai: Can you imagine a top international side getting bowled out in 13.5 overs?
It’s still comprehensible in a T20 International, but a five-day Test match?
Sri Lanka ‘achieved’ the near impossible in the first Test against South Africa at Durban on Thursday.
Five batters registered ducks, four others fell for single-digit scores and the highest score was 13 (by Kamindu Mendis) as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 42 – their lowest Test total.
It was the second-shortest completed Test innings in terms of number of balls faced – 83. The worst performance came exactly 100 years ago, when South Africa were dismissed for 30 by England in a Test match at Birmingham in June 1924.
India have had forgettable outings, having been dismissed for 36 and 42 against Australia and England in December 2020 and June 1974, respectively. But those two innings lasted longer — 21.2 overs in Adelaide four years ago and 17 overs at Lord’s 50 years earlier.
The mayhem in the Sri Lankan innings at Kingsmead Stadium was engineered by tall left-arm pacer Marco Jansen, who bagged 7/13 in less than 7 overs.
For the record, South Africa made 191 in the first innings and are 132/3 in their second essay at stumps on Day 2.