Sri Lanka star Kamindu Mendis has been having fun with a dream debut in Exams. Since enjoying his first Take a look at in July 2022, Mendis scored a minimum of one 50-plus rating in every of his first six Exams. Now on Wednesday, in a Take a look at match towards New Zealand in Galle, Mendis scored a ton. With that he has a fifty-plus rating in every of his first seven Exams. This feat has happenned solely as soon as earlier than within the 147-year historical past of Take a look at cricket. Final 12 months, Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel turned the primary Take a look at participant to attain 50-plus scores in every of his first seven Exams.
Earlier than that, India’s Sunil Gavaskar, Pakistan’s Saeed Ahmed, West Indies’ Basil Butcher and New Zealand’s Bert Sutcliffe scored half-centuries in every of their first six Exams.
Mendis scored a brave century towards New Zealand Wednesday because the hosts wrestled again the initiative to achieve 302 for seven at stumps on the primary day of the primary Take a look at.
Sri Lanka had slumped to 106 for 4 simply after lunch however Kamindu — participant of the sequence for Sri Lanka throughout their latest tour of England — offered a assured and calm efficiency that steadied the crew.
Kamindu stated the Sri Lankans had been aiming to “get near the 350 mark” on Thursday to make them “on high of the sport”.
The all-rounder’s innings got here to an finish on 114 within the penultimate over of the day when Ajaz Patel turned the ball sharply and it popped off the glove for a simple catch at first slip.
“It is a particular hundred this one, as this got here in my hometown,” Kamindu stated.
“I ought to have gone on to get an enormous one, however I could not do a lot about that ball.”
Kamindu, identified for his capability to bat and bowl with each fingers, is enjoying in his seventh Take a look at match. He has already notched up 4 centuries and 4 half-centuries in scoring greater than 800 runs.
Sri Lanka had been in slightly bother going into tea at 178 for 5 however a 103-run stand between Kusal Mendis and Kamindu rescued them and offered an inexpensive first innings whole.
Kusal posted a half-century however fell quickly afterwards to an uncommon dismissal when the ball struck Tom Latham at quick leg, with skipper Tim Southee snapping up the catch.
– ‘Knock them over’ –
Rookie New Zealand quick bowler William O’Rourke had earlier rattled Sri Lanka’s high order, taking two wickets because the hosts reached 88 at lunch.
The Kiwis took a chance by leaving out veteran tempo bowler Matt Henry however 23-year-old O’Rourke quickly justified his inclusion.
He shocked Dimuth Karunaratne with further bounce within the fourth over and the left-hander nicked the ball to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell, departing for 2.
Fellow opener Pathum Nissanka, contemporary from a match-winning efficiency towards England final week, was cleaned up by a yorker that swung in late after posting 27.
Dinesh Chandimal clipped Southee’s fourth ball after lunch to mid-wicket, the place Michael Bracewell took a diving catch.
Sri Lankan skipper Dhananjaya de Silva was then bowled by the gate to present part-time spin bowler Glenn Phillips success in his first over.
Angelo Mathews, who was pressured off by a blow to his thumb, returned to bat earlier than being dismissed on 36 within the final over earlier than tea, nicking O’Rourke to the wicketkeeper.
O’Rourke stated that “honours are fairly even” on the finish of day one, giving “credit score to the Sri Lankan batters to get themselves again into the sport”.
However he stated New Zealand had been keen to start their innings early on Thursday.
“We’re trying ahead to knock them over quickly,” he stated.
With AFP inputs
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