Kamindu Mendis Shines as Sri Lanka Dominates Kiwis in Test Series Whitewash

Sri Lankan all-rounder Kamindu Mendis celebrated surpassing 1,000 Test runs, playing a crucial role in the whitewash victory over New Zealand with his unbeaten 182 in Galle. Mendis is determined to continue his stellar form in the upcoming white-ball tours against the West Indies.

Sri Lanka's in-form all-rounder Kamindu Mendis derived great pleasure from surpassing the 1,000-run mark in Test format, looking forward to their upcoming white-ball tours. Sri Lanka effortlessly completed a whitewash over the Kiwis following their massive success in Galle in the second Test by an innings and 154 runs.

While spinners decimated the visitors' batting lineup, Mendis orchestrated New Zealand's downfall with the bat. He spread his magic in the first Test, lifting his bat to celebrate his century (114) in the first inning. In the second Test, the left-handed batter kept the New Zealand spinners at bay, riding high on his rollicking form.

The 25-year-old returned to the dugout unbeaten with a score of 182 off 250 deliveries. Buttressed by 16 fours and four towering sixes, Kamindu's effort propelled Sri Lanka's score to 602/5. As he continues to thrive, Kamindu spoke about the mindset helping him produce a run fest: "I'm enjoying scoring runs, especially since Galle is my hometown. I think I did well, and credit goes to Kusal and Chandimal as well. I had the same mindset with some small changes to my batting in England; I made tweaks playing spin. It is great to score 1000 runs so quickly, but we must improve daily. With upcoming tours, ODIs, and T20s, I want to keep doing well," he said post-match.

During his sensational run, Mendis became the first player to score fifty or more in eight consecutive Test matches since his debut, hitting the four-digit mark in just his 13th inning. He shares this feat with the legendary Don Bradman, being the third-fastest ever and the quickest since 1949 to achieve it.

Overall, Mendis has scored 1,004 Test runs in eight matches at an average of 91.27. After securing a 2-0 series win, Sri Lanka will engage in a T20I series against the West Indies, beginning on October 13. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)