Sri Lanka vs England: Record-Breaking Debut for Prijanath Rathnayake in First Test

In the first Test match between England and Sri Lanka held at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Greater Manchester, Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat. The match began on August 21, 2024, amidst significant anticipation following England’s recent changes due to captain Ben Stokes’ injury.

As England entered the first Test, they lined up with a new captain, Ollie Pope, who stepped in due to Stokes having to sit out after tearing his hamstring. This marked a crucial moment for England, as they looked to continue their dynamic playing style that was established during the ‘Bazball’ era.

Sri Lanka, while missing its legendary batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, presented a team that included experienced players such as Angelo Mathews and Dimuth Karunaratne. Dhananjaya de Silva has taken charge as captain, with the interim coaching provided by Sanath Jayasuriya.

During the match, Prijanath Rathnayake made an impressive debut, scoring 72 runs while batting at ninth position. His performance broke a 41-year-old world record held by India’s Balwinder Sandhu, who previously scored 71 runs in a similar batting position.

On the first day of the Test match, Sri Lanka managed to put forth a total of 236 runs. Despite a decent batting effort from Rathnayake and captain Dhananjaya de Silva, who scored 74 runs, the team’s performance fell short, resulting in an all-out before the day’s end.

The bowling attacks from England saw Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir each taking three wickets, while Gus Atkinson contributed with two wickets and Mark Wood secured one. After Sri Lanka’s first innings, England began their batting, setting the stage for an exciting contest in this much-awaited series.