MJ Guptill of New Zealand scored 156 in the ongoing first test against Sri Lanka at Dunedin to provide the 13^th occasion of a New Zealand opening batsman scoring 150 plus runs in a test innings. All such occasion are listed below in the order of descending runs.

No	Player	Runs	4s	6s	Inns	Opposition	Ground	Start Date
1	BA Young	267*	37	0	1	v Sri Lanka	Dunedin	07 Mar 1997
2	GM Turner	259	22	0	2	v West Indies	Georgetown	06 Apr 1972
3	GT Dowling	239	26	5	1	v India	Christchurch	22 Feb 1968
4	B Sutcliffe	230*	30	0	1	v India	Delhi	16 Dec 1955
5	BB McCullum	225	22	4	3	v India	Hyd-RGS	12 Nov 2010
6	GM Turner	223*	26	0	2	v West Indies	Kingston	16 Feb 1972
7	BB McCullum	202	21	11	2	v Pakistan	Sharjah	26 Nov 2014
8	JG Wright	185	23	0	1	v India	Christchurch	02 Feb 1990
9	TW Jarvis	182	19	0	2	v West Indies	Georgetown	06 Apr 1972
10	HD Rutherford	171	22	3	2	v England	Dunedin	06 Mar 2013
11	BA Edgar	161	22	0	2	v Australia	Auckland	12 Mar 1982
12	MJ Horne	157	19	4	2	v Zimbabwe	Auckland	26 Feb 1998
13	MJ Guptill	156	21	0	1	v Sri Lanka	Dunedin	10 Dec 2015

MJ Guptill became the second New Zealand opening batsman to score 150 plus runs against Sri Lanka in a test innings after BA Young. BA Young had scored 267 not out – also at Dunedin – in Mar 1997.  BA Young’s 267 not out represent the highest individual inning by a New Zealand opening batsman.

No	Player	Runs	4s	6s	Inns	Opposition	Ground	Start Date
1	BA Young	267*	37	0	1	v Sri Lanka	Dunedin	07 Mar 1997
2	MJ Guptill	156	21	0	1	v Sri Lanka	Dunedin	10 Dec 2015

The following table lists the opening batsmen who have scored 250 plus runs in a test innings against Sri Lanka. West Indian CH Gayle’s 333 at Galle in Nov 2010 provides the highest individual innings by an opening batsman against Sri Lanka in a test innings. It also remains the only triple century by an opening batsman against Sri Lanka in a test innings

No	Player	Runs	4s	6s	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	CH Gayle	333	34	9	1	Win	Srl	Galle	15 Nov 2010
2	V Sehwag	293	40	7	2	Ind	Srl	Mum-BS	02 Dec 2009
3	BA Young	267*	37	0	1	NZl	Srl	Dunedin	07 Mar 1997
4	Taufeeq Umar	236	17	1	2	Pak	Srl	Abu Dhabi	18 Oct 2011
5	MJ Slater	219	15	5	2	Aus	Srl	Perth	08 Dec 1995
6	V Sehwag	201*	22	4	1	Ind	Srl	Galle	31 Jul 2008
7	Mohd Hafeez	196	20	1	1	Pak	Srl	Col-SSC	30 Jun 2012
8	G Kirsten	180	20	0	1	SAF	Srl	Durban	26 Dec 2000
9	SM Gavaskar	176	22	0	2	Ind	Srl	Kanpur	17 Dec 1986
10	GA Gooch	174	19	0	3	Eng	Srl	Lord’s	22 Aug 1991
11	Fawad Alam	168	15	1	3	Pak	Srl	Col-PSS	12 Jul 2009
12	G Gambhir	167	15	0	1	Ind	Srl	Kanpur	24 Nov 2009
13	JL Langer	166	13	2	3	Aus	Srl	Col-SSC	24 Mar 2004
14	MA Taylor	164	17	2	3	Aus	Srl	Brisbane	08 Dec 1989
15	JL Langer	162	22	0	1	Aus	Srl	Cairns	09 Jul 2004
16	ME Trescothick	161	23	3	2	Eng	Srl	Birmingham	30 May 2002
17	MJ Guptill	156	21	0	1	NZl	Srl	Dunedin	10 Dec 2015
18	SM Gavaskar	155	24	1	2	Ind	Srl	Chennai	17 Sep 1982
19	PA Jaques	150	18	0	1	Aus	Srl	Hobart	16 Nov 2007

JL Langer of Australia, SM Gavaskar of India and  V Sehwag of India are the three opening batsmen who have scored 150 plus runs in a test innings on two occasions. The feats of these three batsmen are furnished below. It is observed that V Sehwag is the only opening batsman to score two double hundreds against Sri Lanka – 201 not out at Galle in Jul 2008 and 293 at Mum-BS in Dec 2009

No	Player	Runs	4s	6s	Inns	Team	Oppn	Ground	Start Date
1	JL Langer	166	13	2	3	Aus	Srl	Col-SSC	24 Mar 2004
2	JL Langer	162	22	0	1	Aus	Srl	Cairns	09 Jul 2004
1	SM Gavaskar	155	24	1	2	Ind	Srl	Chennai	17 Sep 1982
2	SM Gavaskar	176	22	0	2	Ind	Srl	Kanpur	17 Dec 1986
1	V Sehwag	201*	22	4	1	Ind	Srl	Galle	31 Jul 2008
2	V Sehwag	293	40	7	2	Ind	Srl	Mum-BS	02 Dec 2009