Kamindu Mendis‘ remarkable journey in Test cricket reached a new milestone during the second Test against New Zealand in Galle, as the Sri Lankan star remained unbeaten on 51 at the end of day one. At just 25 years old, Mendis made history by becoming the first player in 147 years of Test cricket to score fifty or more runs in each of his first eight matches.
This impressive feat broke the previous record held by Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel, who had managed fifty-plus scores in his first seven Tests. Before them, India’s Sunil Gavaskar had set the benchmark with six successive fifties, a record he shared with three others: Bert Sutcliffe, Saeed Ahmed, and Basil Butcher.
Chandimal and Mathews Lead Sri Lanka’s Charge
On the same day, Dinesh Chandimal’s century further bolstered Sri Lanka’s innings. Chandimal’s innings of 116, which included 15 boundaries, was his 16th Test century and his sixth at Galle. He was eventually bowled by Glenn Phillips during the final session, but not before helping Sri Lanka reach a strong position of 306-3 at the close of play. Angelo Mathews, who scored 78, and Kamindu Mendis will continue on day two, both having reached half-centuries.
Kamindu’s latest fifty continues his world record run, which began with his Test debut against Australia at Galle two years ago. Meanwhile, Mathews also reached a significant milestone, becoming only the sixth player in Test history to score 2,000 runs at a single venue, joining cricket greats like Joe Root and Graham Gooch. Chandimal’s century was made possible by capitalizing on loose deliveries from New Zealand’s bowlers, and his partnership with Dimuth Karunaratne, who was run out for 46, set the stage for Sri Lanka’s strong performance.
Kamindu Mendis’ record-breaking performance, coupled with Dinesh Chandimal’s century and Angelo Mathews’ milestone, has placed Sri Lanka in a commanding position at the end of the first day of the second Test against New Zealand. Mendis’ eighth consecutive fifty since his debut underscores his rising stature in Test cricket, setting a new global benchmark.
Chandimal’s composed century and Mathews’ continued contributions further solidified Sri Lanka’s innings, demonstrating the team’s batting strength at the bowler-friendly Galle pitch. With Mendis and Mathews poised to resume, Sri Lanka holds the momentum as they look to capitalize on their strong start.
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