Kamindu Mendis Shines on Day 1 Against New Zealand in Galle

The first day of the Test match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Galle concluded with the home team posting a score of 302 for 7 at stumps. Kamindu Mendis was the standout performer with a remarkable century that steadied the Sri Lankan innings after a challenging start. The day began with Sri Lanka opting to bat on a pitch that had more grass coverage than usual.

William O'Rourke was impressive for New Zealand, securing three key wickets, including those of the Sri Lankan openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka early in the day. Despite New Zealand’s early successes, Kamindu Mendis anchored the innings with a composed knock of 114 runs off 173 deliveries. His partnerships with Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis were crucial in steadying the innings after a precarious scoreline of 106 for 4 just after lunch.

While Kusal Mendis contributed 50 runs, the partnership with Kamindu, worth 103 runs, was vital in pushing Sri Lanka towards a respectable total. New Zealand’s bowlers, particularly O’Rourke and Glenn Phillips, applied persistent pressure, but missed opportunities and a lack of breakthroughs from their spinners held them back. Glenn Phillips managed to take two wickets, complementing the efforts of O’Rourke.

The dismissal of Kamindu Mendis towards the close of play was a significant moment for New Zealand. Ajaz Patel managed to dismiss Kamindu with a ball that bounced sharply, caught the edge, and was taken by Daryl Mitchell in the slip field. Despite this, Sri Lanka ended the day in a position of slight advantage, setting up an intriguing continuation on the second day of play.