Perera and Fernando, the highest last-wicket stand in a successful chase

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ESPNCricinfo: 78* – The final-wicket partnership between Kusal Perera and Vishwa Fernando – the highest-ever in a successful chase. The previous was 57 between Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mushtaq Ahmed against Australia in Karachi in 1994. The Perera-Fernando stand is also the biggest such partnership in any first-class match, going past the 77 between Thomas Leather and Ron Oxenham for Australians against Madras in 1935-36.

13 – Instances of a side winning a Test by one wicket. It was the second such win for Sri Lanka after their display in Colombo 2006, also against South Africa. The last one-wicket victory in all Tests was by India over Australia in Mohali in 2010.

153* – Kusal Perera’s score – the highest by a Sri Lanka batsman in a successful chase. It is also the highest against South Africa in a successful chase beating Neil Harvey’s unbeaten 151, also in Durban, in 1949-50. Overall, Perera’s innings features in the top-10 individual scores in successful chases.

304 – Successfully chasing that target made it Sri Lanka’s fourth-highest chase in Test cricket. Each of the top three had come at home, so this is their best in an away win. It was also the fifth-largest target chased by any team against South Africa.

1-7 – South Africa’s win-loss record in Durban in last 10 years, easily their worst at any home venue. In nine Tests played there, they have lost seven and drawn one. The only victory was against India in 2013. Their win-loss ratio is the worst among the top-eight sides at a home venue playing last five-plus matches in this period.

6 (27) – Fernando’s score in the partnership with Perera for the last wicket. Four of those runs had come in overthrows. Perera scored 67 off 68 in the partnership, with five sixes and three fours.

2 – Number of successful run-chases by Asian teams in South Africa, in 20 attempts. Before this effort by Sri Lanka, the only successful chase was by Pakistan in Port Elizabeth in 2007. Last year, India lost chasing targets of 207 and 286 on their tour of South Africa.