BREAKS GAVASKAR’S HALF-TON RECORD TO EQUALLING SAUD SHAKEE’S 7
By Srian Obeyesekere
Like a flowing fountain against the magnificent backdrop of Galle’s hovering ancient Dutch Fortress, 25-year old Kamindu Mendis, justified his promotion from lower order to No.5 to rocketing to phantom greatness reeling a record fourth test hundred in only his seventh outing and 11th innings striking 114 off 173 balls decorated by 11 boundaries in a familiar repeat back to the wall effort to Sri Lanka’s first day score of 302 for 7 from a shaky 106 for 4 in the first test against New Zealand at the Southern belt’s International Cricket Stadium yesterday after Sri Lanka batted on the luck of the coin.
On the way, Mendis, who turned 25 on September 10, battled his side out of the woods of losing Dimuth Karunaratne 2, Pathum Nissnka 27, Dinesh Chandimal 30, Angelo Mathews 36 and Dhananjaya de Silva 11 to personal milestones in translating the early aura twin century feat this year against Bangladesh in surpassing Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar’s fifty in each of his first six Tests to equaling Pakistani Saud Shakee’s feat of seven half centuries.
It was an ironic return to dreamy three figure glory to Galle for Mendis in the wake of a debut 73 against Australia in 2022 that followed a 2-year sidelining.
A perfect model of flawless footwork against New Zealand’s spinners, Mendis reinfused the touch that fetched him scores of 113 and 72 against England as he wove through the Kiwi attack piercing the loose ends sweeping to good effect. His one blemish was a dropped chance when on 21 that the Kiwis let off the hook blemish took the game away from Tim Southee and company to the Lankans sitting on a healthy 300-plus end of the day satisfaction from early disaster. He was seventh out by a blinding delivery that shot from the rough outside the off stump to taking his glove snapped up by Mitchell off Ajaz Patel.
He found tide turning supportive knocks from Kusal Mendis 50 off 68 who rose to the occasion in the No.7 role hitting 7 boundaries following 72 together with Angelo Mathews for the fifth wicket in checking New Zealand’s early threat of hostile pacer William O’Rouke who reveled in dismissing Karunaratne caught behind by stumper Blundell and clean bowling the inform Nissanka.
Mathews, returned from retirement after being hit on the forefinger by O’Rouke to defy New Zealand in a subdued 116-ball knock confined to 3 boundaries.
William O’Rourke had the best returns of 3 for 54 for the visitors followed by off spinner Glenn Phillips 2 for 52.
Sri Lanka 302 for 7 (Kamindu Mendis 114, KusalMendis 50, Angelo Mathews 36, Dinesh Chandimal 30, Pathum Nissanka 27, Dhananjaya de Silva 11, William O’Rourke 3/54, Glenn Phillips 2/52, Ajaz Patel 1/58)
