Yuvraj, Irfan shine for India

Yuvraj Singh [ Images ] and Irfan Pathan [ Images ] marked their emergence as a new breed of utility players by claiming the honours in the averages charts of the just-concluded three-match Test series against Sri Lanka [ Images ].

Yuvraj, a replacement for former captain Sourav Ganguly [ Images ] and with whom he is pitted for a slot in the middle order for the tour of Pakistan, averaged an impressive 50.66 from two matches while aggregating 152 runs.

Ganguly, determined to make a comeback to the team, averaged 28 and collected 84 runs from the three innings that he got to play in the series which India [ Images ] won 2-0.

Pathan did his growing reputation as an all-rounder a world of good by collecting 202 runs from three matches and five innings. With a batting average of 40.40, he put to shame some of the specialist batsmen like Virender Sehwag [ Images ] (average 18.66).

The Baroda left-arm paceman was also not behind in bowling charts, emerging as the most successful paceman with seven wickets and a bowling average of 26.

But overall, it was Anil Kumble [ Images ] who was the pick of the Indian bowlers with 20 wickets at an average of 18.70.

 For Sri Lanka, there was some consolation as Mahela Jayawardene [ Images ] topped the batting averages list on both sides with a tally of 255 runs at 51.

Spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan's [ Images ] figures show he did not prove to be as big a threat for India although he did manage to take 16 wickets from three Tests, the first of which was a rain-marred affair.

India - Bowling

Name	Mat	O	M	R	W	Ave	Best	5	10	SR	Econ
A Kumble	3	138.3	28	374	20	18.70	6-72	2	1	41.5	2.70
Harbhajan	3	103.1	17	312	14	22.28	7-62	1	1	44.2	3.02
I Pathan	3	62	12	182	7	26.00	3-34	-	-	53.1	2.93
A Agarkar	3	59	16	150	3	50.00	2-45	-	-	118.0	2.54
S Ganguly	2	2	0	16	0	-	-	-	-	-	8.00
V Sehwag	2	3	0	18	0	-	-	-	-	-	6.00
S Tendulkar	3	6	0	19	0	-	-	-	-	-	3.16

Sri Lanka - Batting and Fielding

Name	Mat	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	SR	100	50	Ct	St
M Jayawardene [ Images ]	3	5	0	255	71	51.00	56.16	-	4	1	-
M Atapattu	3	5	0	218	88	43.60	45.79	-	2	2	-
T Dilshan [ Images ]	3	5	1	170	65	42.50	54.48	-	2	1	-
K Sangakkara	3	5	0	124	41	24.80	42.03	-	-	7	-
W Tharanga	1	2	0	49	47	24.50	37.40	-	-	1	-
J Mubarak	3	4	1	63	29*	21.00	41.72	-	-	4	-
C Bandara	3	4	1	40	28*	13.33	52.63	-	-	1	-
D Gunawardene	2	3	0	38	25	12.66	38.38	-	-	1	-
T Samaraweera	3	5	1	42	35*	10.50	30.43	-	-	1	-
C Vaas	2	2	0	19	17	9.50	42.22	-	-	1	-
M Muralitharan	3	4	0	17	9	4.25	62.96	-	-	1	-
F Maharoof	1	2	0	6	4	3.00	17.14	-	-	1	-
D Fernando	2	2	1	2	2*	2.00	9.52	-	-	-	-
L Malinga	1	2	1	0	0*	0.00	0.00	-	-	-	-

Sri Lanka - Bowling

Name	Mat	O	M	R	W	Ave	Best	5	10	SR	Econ
C Vaas	2	64	23	162	7	23.14	4-20	-	-	54.8	2.53
M Maharoof	1	33	11	77	3	25.66	2-52	-	-	66.0	2.33
M Muralitharan	3	158.4	28	496	16	31.00	7-100	1	-	59.5	3.12
C Bandara	3	92	14	296	9	32.88	3-84	-	-	61.3	3.21
S Malinga	1	44	6	176	4	44.00	3-113	-	-	66.0	4.00
T Dilshan	3	20	2	66	1	66.00	1-36	-	-	120.0	3.30
D Fernando	2	56	14	176	2	88.00	1-58	-	-	168.0	3.14
J Mubarak	3	1	0	2	0	-	-	-	-	-	2.00