Dhananjaya de Silva's Heroics Steady Sri Lanka in 1st Test Against England

Sri Lanka's captain Dhananjaya de Silva's innings of 74 helped lift his team from a tough start on Day 1 of the first Test against England. Despite losing quick wickets, De Silva’s partnership with debutant Milan Rathnayake steadied the innings, aiming for a respectable first-innings total.

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva's crucial 74-run knock provided much-needed stability to his team, struggling at 113-7, as they reached 178 for eight at tea on Day 1 of the first Test against England on Wednesday.

De Silva shared a vital eighth-wicket stand of 63 with test debutant Milan Rathnayake. They managed to lift Sri Lanka after a shaky start but lost three wickets in the second session, including Kamindu Mendis and Prabath Jayasuriya.

With eight boundaries in his 84-ball stint, De Silva marked his 14th test half-century, contributing significantly before falling to leg slip off Shoaib Bashir's delivery. England, riding high after a series sweep against the West Indies, was led by substitute captain Ollie Pope in place of the injured Ben Stokes.

(With inputs from agencies.)