Dickwella out for 80, extends record for most Test fifties without ton

India vs Sri Lanka, 1st Test: Dickwella falls for 80, extends unwanted record of most Test 50s without a century

Galle, August 17

Dickwella, who was looking to help Sri Lanka reduce India's first-innings lead, was caught behind off Krishna after scoring his 23rd Test half-century.

The dismissal extended Dickwella's unwanted record for the most 50-plus scores in Test cricket without converting any of them into a century. The 33-year-old has now registered 23 Test half-centuries but is yet to reach three figures.

His closest attempt came in 2021 during Sri Lanka's tour of the West Indies, when he was dismissed for 96 in the first Test at Antigua.

Dickwella now leads the list of batters with the most Test half-centuries without a century. Former India opener Chetan Chauhan is second with 16 half-centuries without a hundred.

Australia's Ken Mackay and Mitchell Starc are next with 13 half-centuries each, while legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne had 12.

Warne, who played 145 Tests between 1992 and 2007, took 708 wickets and remains second on the all-time Test wicket-takers' list. He also scored 3,154 runs without a century, the most Test runs by a player who never reached three figures.

Dickwella has now scored 2,837 Test runs without a century, leaving him second behind Warne on that unwanted list.

Interestingly, Starc and Warne both had a highest Test score of 99, falling just one run short of a century during their careers.

Sri Lanka were 264/7 after 74 overs in third session on Day 3, still trailing India by 200 runs in the first innings. India had posted 462 after opting to bat in the series opener.

— ANI