• First Sri Lankan fast bowler to take 10 wickets in 21 years

By Sa’adi Thawfeeq

Asitha Fernando who bowled Sri Lanka to a series clinching win in the second Test against Bangladesh at Mirpur yesterday became only the second bowler to return match figures of 10 wickets or more in a Test match after legendary fast bowler Chaminda Vaas.

Sri Lanka’s Test cricket history is replete with spinners who have bowled the country to the countless number of Test victories they have achieved in the past 40 years.

Amongst the innumerable number of spinners headed by the indefatigable Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath, only Vaas’ performance stood out like a beacon as the only fast bowler to figure amongst that exalted company.

In his outstanding career Vaas took a match bag of 10 wickets or more in a Test on two occasions, the last being 14 for 191 against West Indies at the SSC in 2001. Since then no Sri Lankan fast bowler has captured 10 wickets or more in a Test match until Fernando’s performance at Mirpur yesterday where he finished with a match bag of 10 for 144, especially on a fifth day pitch that was expected to favour spinners. 

Considering the conditions under which he bowled (especially the unresponsive pitch to pace and the hot climatic conditions) it was a tremendous bowling performance to send down a total of 43.3 overs.

Vaas for the majority of his career bowled on Sri Lankan pitches suited for spin and went onto capture 355 Test wickets, for the most part bowling in tandem with Muralitharan.

Fernando who made his Test debut against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2021, has so far had a rather rocky career playing just four Tests and capturing seven wickets till yesterday.

Following the retirement from international cricket by Suranga Lakmal, and injury to Lahiru Kumara, and Dushmantha Chameera being rested from red ball cricket until the T20 World Cup in October, Sri Lanka had to rely on Asitha Fernando, Kasun Rajitha and Vishwa Fernando for their pace combination for the two-Test Bangladesh series. 

With Vishwa Fernando being sidelined by dizziness during the first Test and being replaced Rajitha as concussion sub, Sri Lanka had to be largely dependent on Asitha Fernando and Rajitha to share the new ball, and how well they responded.

Rajitha captured his first five-for in his 11-Test career when he took 5 for 64 in the first innings of the Mirpur Test and with Asitha Fernando bowled Sri Lanka to victory with the pair taking 17 wickets in the Test. Their performance more than compensated for the disappointing performance put up by the spinners.

Asitha rips through Bangladesh as Sri Lanka win Test series