New boy shatters record with stunning Test debut

Left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama claimed a match haul of 11 wickets in a fairytale debut as he bowled Sri Lanka to a 209-run victory, and a 1-0 series win, in the second Test against Bangladesh in Pallekele.

The hosts took just over an hour on Monday to claim the last five Bangladesh wickets, with Jayawickrama claiming three of them for a second-innings haul of 5-86 after he took 6-92 in the first innings.

He is the first Sri Lankan to take a 10-wicket haul on his Test debut and his match figures of 11-178 are the tenth best by a debutant in history.

The previous Sri Lankan record was the 8-44 taken by Akila Dananjaya in Dhaka three years ago, also against Bangladesh.

Jayawickrama is also the first debutant since India’s Narendra Hirwani in 1988 to take a five-wicket haul in both innings.

"There was a bit of pressure ahead of the debut, but the captain and the senior players really helped me," Jayawickrama, 22, said after being adjudged player-of-the-match.

Replying to Sri Lanka's first-innings total of 7-493 declared, Bangladesh were all out for 251.

Sri Lanka declared their second innings on 9-194, setting the tourists a daunting victory target of 437.

Bangladesh made just 227 in response.

Home captain Dimuth Karunaratne heaped praise on Jayawickrama and young off-spinner Ramesh Mendis, who claimed four wickets in the second innings.

"Praveen was fantastic and Ramesh too," said Karunaratne, who won the player-of-the-series award for his scores of 244, 118 and 66 in three innings.

"I think they need to play Test matches regularly and build confidence, and if they do that, they will fill the shoes of Dilruwan (Perera) and Rangana (Herath) for sure."

Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque rued losing the toss on a flat wicket which he felt determined "50 per cent" of the outcome, but was also disappointed with their own batting effort.

"We lost this Test in the first innings when we were bowled out for 250. We should have batted better," he said.

Best bowling on Test debut (since WWII)

16-136 – Narendra Hirwani, Ind v WI, Chennai, 1988

16-137 – Bob Massie, Aus v Eng, Lord’s, 1972

12-358 – Jason Krejza, Aus v Ind, Nagpur, 2008

11-130 – Mohammad Zahid, Pak v NZ, Rawalpindi, 1996

11-145 – Alec Bedser, Eng v Ind, Lord’s, 1946

11-178 - Praveen Jayawickrama, SL v Ban, Pallekele, 2021