For a nation in the throes of a tricky transition since stalwarts Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene walked off into the sunset, Kusal Mendis’s batting heroics against Australia on Thursday will offer new hope to Sri Lanka.
Already on the back foot after conceding an 86-run first innings lead, they were reeling on six for two when Mendis, 21, walked out to bat at Pallekele.
In a bowler-dominated contest where no other batsman has managed a fifty, Mendis walked off unbeaten on 169 in a 243-ball stay that was curbed early by rain with Sri Lanka 196 runs ahead and four wickets in hand.
Playing in his seventh Test, Mendis is closing in on the record score by a Sri Lankan against Australia, a 192 by Sangakkara at Hobart in 2007.
“What a knock by the youngster. Character and ability. Sri Lanka poised to win this now. What an innings. Outstanding,” tweeted Sangakkara, who hung up his bat last year after a stellar 15-year career.
Mendis earned the praise of that other batting great as Jayawardene, who also quit last year after serving Sri Lanka with distinction for 17 years, tweeted his congratulations, and warned that the youngster – and Sri Lanka – were not finished yet.
“It feels great,” Mendis said at the end of the day. “From the position we were in ... to get to a lead of almost 200 is great.
“Hopefully we can add more runs on the board and put pressure on Australia on a wicket that will assist our spinners.”
New Zealand’s Neil Wagner too much for Zinbabawe
In Africa, left-arm seamer Neil Wagner’s raw pace and aggression proved too much for an out-of-touch Zimbabwe batting line-up as New Zealand stamped their authority on the first Test on the opening day at the Queens Sports Club, Harare.
On a surface offering little to the bowlers, Wagner bent his back and used the short ball to good effect to take career-best figures of six for 41, bowling Zimbabwe out for just 164 after the hosts elected to bat first. New Zealand were 32 for no loss.
All but one of Wagner’s first five dismissals came from short deliveries.
“Tactically it’s one of my strengths, trying to get players off the front foot and see if we can get a wicket that way,” Wagner explained. “Maybe get some doubt in their footwork.
“There was no swing or movement. With the wicket being flat, we knew we had to try and use the surprise factor.”
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