Prabath Jayasuriya might become the second-fastest player to take 100 Test wickets, having already picked up 94 wickets in his first 29 innings.
Jayasuriya made his Test debut in July 2022, alongside Kamindu Mendis and Maheesh Theekshana. While Theekshana played one more Test, both Mendis and Jayasuriya have gone from strength to strength, with record-breaking starts to their respective careers.
Mendis recently became the joint-second quickest to 1,000 Test runs and Jayasuriya is on course to achieving a similar equivalent. Playing his 16th Test currently, against New Zealand, the left-arm orthodox spinner needed six more wickets in the second innings to become the joint fastest to 100 Test wickets, alongside George Lohmann. However, he could only manage three as debutant Nishan Peiris took six instead.
Ever since he made his debut, Jayasuriya has become Sri Lanka’s most trusted aide. He is the highest wicket-taker in the world in the format since his debut, averaging 28.42 for his 97 wickets. He has also taken nine five-fors, more than any other bowler in this period.
Can Jayasuriya break the fastest to 100 Test wickets record?
Lohmann, who made his debut in 1886 needed 16 Tests to pick up his first 100 Test wickets. Since the 20th century, the fastest bowler to the landmark is Sydney Barnes, who achieved the feat in his 17th Test match, in 1912. Further, the fastest bowler to 100 wickets in the 21st century is Yasir Shah, who also needed 17 Tests.
Jayasuriya was in with a chance of equalling the fastest-to-100-Test-wickets record, requiring six wickets in the second innings of the Galle Test against New Zealand. But finishing with figures of 3-139 meant that he has missed the world record and can achieve the landmark in 17 Tests at best, which will put him joint second on the list and will still equal an Asian record, currently held by Yasir Shah.
| Bowler | Matches needed for 100 wickets |
| George Lohmann | 16 |
| Charlie Turner | 17 |
| Sydney Barnes | 17 |
| Clarrie Grimmett | 17 |
| Yasir Shah | 17 |
| R Ashwin | 18 |
| Colin Blythe | 19 |
| Alf Valentine | 19 |
| Andy Roberts | 19 |
| Ian Botham | 19 |
| Saeed Ajmal | 19 |
| Vernon Philander | 19 |
Even if he fails to overhaul either of the other bowlers, Jayasuriya will still become the fastest Sri Lankan to get to 100 Test wickets. No bowler from the country has taken fewer than 24 Test matches to get to the landmark.
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