Onlookers said that West Indies' recent series was more like Brian Lara v Sri Lanka – and Wisden's figures prove it. Lara made the largest percentage of any side's total runs in a series of three or more matches during the rubber in Sri Lanka. Lara made 688 runs in the series – 178 and 40 at Galle, 74 and 45 at Kandy, and 221 and 130 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo – for an average of 114.67. West Indies scored a total of 1625 runs in the series, so Lara's percentage of their runs was a world-record 42.34%.

The previous-highest mark of 40.31% also came against Sri Lanka, by Dave Houghton in Zimbabwe in 1994-95. Houghton made 58 (out of 319), 266 (462) and 142 (375) in his three innings in that series – 466 of Zimbabwe's 1156 runs. Chaminda Vaas got him out on each occasion: Muttiah Muralitharan managed only 3 for 168 in the series.

Next comes Shoaib Mohammad, with 37.78% for Pakistan at home to New Zealand in 1990-91. He compiled 203 not out (out of 433), 105 (373) and 42 not out (77), 15 (102) and 142 (357) – 507 of Pakistan's 1342 runs.

And Seymour Nurse of West Indies lies fourth, with 37.55% of the runs in his final series, in New Zealand in 1968-69. He scored 95 (out of 276) and 168 (348), 21 (297) and 16 (148), then signed off from Test cricket with a magnificent innings of 258 (out of 417). That's 558 of West Indies' 1486 runs.

Lara's 221 in the final match was the highest individual score by any batsman who finished on the losing side in a Test. Previously this was Victor Trumper's 214 not out for Australia v South Africa at Adelaide in 1910-11. And Lara's match tally of 351 runs is also a record for someone who ended up losing – the old mark of 341 was set as recently as September, by Andy Flower (142 and 199 not out) for Zimbabwe v South Africa at Harare.

Despite Lara's efforts – or rather because he received such scanty support – Sri Lanka won the series 3-0, for their first whitewash since they came into Test cricket 20 years ago.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd