Kamindu Mendis Shines with Fourth Test Century

Kamindu Mendis scored his fourth Test century, making 114 runs against New Zealand at Galle. His innings led Sri Lanka to a score of 302/7 by the end of Day One. Mendis' consistent form has made him one of the top performers in the World Test Championship.

Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis achieved his fourth Test century in only his seventh Test match, scoring 114 runs off 173 deliveries against New Zealand on Wednesday at the Galle International Stadium.

Promoted to number five after his impressive performance in England, Mendis' remarkable inning propelled Sri Lanka to a robust 302/7 at the close of Day One in the first Test match against New Zealand.

Mendis was the final wicket to fall on the first day, caught at the slip cordon off Ajaz Patel's delivery. Notably, Mendis has recorded a fifty-plus score in each of his first seven Tests, sharing a world record with Pakistan's Saud Shakeel. Mendis attributed special significance to this century, scored in his hometown, Galle.

After day's play, Mendis remarked, "There was a thought swirling around my head that I had to hit a hundred here… Unfortunately, I got out." With an astonishing average of 80.9, Mendis stands just behind Sir Donald Bradman among batsmen with at least 10 Test innings.

During the current World Test Championship cycle, Mendis boasts the highest average at 83.11, with four centuries from 10 innings, second only to Joe Root's five hundreds in the cycle. Mendis made an instant impact, scoring 61 on his Test debut against Australia in 2022, and continued to impress with centuries and significant scores across various venues.

(With inputs from agencies.)