Pakistan Notch Record Win vs Lanka, Match Australia's Biggest Test Triumph

Pakistan's potential as a quality cricket team was on show in Pallekele (Sri Lanka) on Tuesday. That the former world ODI champions can chase big targets and win with comprehensive ease against a good Lankan bowling side only tells about the ability of a team that has often been hit by poor management. Tuesday was a happy day for Team Pakistan as they rose to No. 3 in the ICC Test rankings leaving arch-rivals India at No. 5. (Younis Khan's Unbeaten Ton Leads Pakistan to Trump Sri Lanka)

Pakistan's series win against Sri Lanka came with several records. Their seven-wicket triumph is the joint-largest margin of victory in Test history by a team posting 350-plus score to win a Test match. Australia (404/3) had defeated England by seven wickets at Leeds in July 1948. (Pakistan Scale New Highs in Epic Chase)

Sri Lanka seem to be Pakistan's favourite punching bag. On Tuesday, Pakistan (2-1) registered their first Test series win in Sri Lanka since 2006. Their last Test series win over Sri Lanka was by 1-0 in 2011-12 in the UAE.

Pakistan's 382 for three is their highest fourth innings total in a Test match, outstripping the 343 for three in a drawn game versus South Africa in Dubai in November 2010. Pakistan's previous highest total in a successful chase in the fourth innings was 315 for 9 against Australia at Karachi in September 1994. (Shaharyar Khan Hails Historic Test Win)

Other highlights:

# Pakistan's 382 for three is the second highest successful chase in the fourth innings in the subcontinent next only to the 387 for four by India versus England at Chennai in December 2008.

# The aforesaid total is the sixth highest successful chase in the fourth innings in Test annals

# For the second time in a Test match in Sri Lanka, the fourth innings total is the highest in a Test match -- the first instance being Sri Lanka's 326 for five versus Zimbabwe at Colombo, SSC in January 1998.

(With inputs from Rajesh Kumar)