SL vs NZ: Kamindu Mendis continues golden Test run, scores 5th Test hundred

Kamindu Mendis continued his golden run in Test cricket as he scored his 5th hundred on Day 2 of the Galle Test on Friday, September 27. Kamindu got to his hundred in 147 balls against New Zealand.

In Short

• Kamindu scored his second hundred of the series
• Kamindu helped Sri Lanka go past the 400-run mark
• Kamindu is closing in on 1000-run mark in Tests

Kamindu Mendis continued his remarkable start to Test cricket by scoring his fifth century in just 13 innings on day two of the second Test against New Zealand. Playing at the Galle International Stadium, Mendis reached his century off 147 balls, marking his second hundred of the series and his third consecutive 50+ score.

Mendis' century helped propel Sri Lanka past the 400-run mark, and he also built a crucial 100-run partnership with Angelo Mathews for the fourth wicket, which came off 125 balls in the first session of day two. Earlier in the innings, wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Chandimal had also scored a hundred, making 116 off 208 balls. Mathews contributed with a solid 88 from 185 balls, while captain Dhananjaya de Silva fell for 44 off 80 balls just before lunch. Opener Dimuth Karunaratne had set the tone earlier with a steady 46 off 109 balls.

In the previous Test against New Zealand, Mendis was promoted to No. 5 after starting his career at No. 7. He top-scored in the first innings with 114 off 173 deliveries, guiding Sri Lanka to a total of 305 on a challenging pitch. His performance proved vital as Sri Lanka secured a 63-run victory.

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Kamindu Mendis' Test career so far

Since making his Test debut against Australia in July 2022, where he played a key role with 61 runs to help Sri Lanka to a famous win, Mendis has made a significant impact. After nearly two years, he returned to the team in March for the series against Bangladesh in Sylhet, where he made twin centuries (102 and 164), becoming only the seventh Sri Lankan to achieve this feat. His 164 is also the fourth-highest score by a No. 8 batsman in Test cricket.

Mendis has now scored over 50 in every match since his return and is on track to potentially become one of the fastest players to reach 1,000 Test runs. While he may not break the record held by Herbert Sutcliffe and Everton Weekes (12 innings), he could equal Don Bradman's achievement of reaching the milestone in 13 innings if he scores 178 in the first innings of this Test.