New Zealand found themselves in dire straits at 22-2, and a well-placed 580 runs adrift of victory on Friday against a Sri Lanka team showing exceptional batting prowess, which saw Kamindu Mendis score 1000 runs twenty tests into his career. Galle refilled and the Sri Lankan team declared after the second day’s play at 602-5 runs, thanks to a formidable 200-run batting stand between Kausal and Kamindu – the three-century partnership of the innings. The visitors lost both openers within a span of nine overs as Tom Latham was caught for two on the fifth ball of the innings and Devon Conway was dismissed at the score of nine.
Kane Williamson will resume his innings on six and Ajaz Patel will come after him, as he has not scored any runs, on Saturday.
Kamindu, playing his eighth Test match at the same venue where he had made his debut two years ago, achieved the target of 1000 runs in 13 innings and thus leveled with Australian cricketing legend Don Bradman. However, he did it in fewer innings than another Indian, Vinod Kambli, who had accomplished it in the 14th inning as an Asian cricketer. The previous record for the sub-continent had been with Kambli who attained it in 1994.
Only two others -, England’s Herbert Sutcliffe and West Indies’ Everton Weekes – exceeded him and both did it in twelve innings.
Kamindu, the Galle born 25-year-old, batted alongside Kusal who made 106 and scored 182 not out before the declaration.
His five hundreds from 13 innings is also the third quickest to reach the figure and he shares that record with Bradman and George Headley from the West Indies.
The southpaw has enjoyed a rich vein of form this year and it was he who top-scored for Sri Lanka during the last two series against Bangladesh and England.
Kamindu’s overnight partner Angelo Mathews was dismissed after scoring 88 runs when Glen Phillips had him caught at square leg by debutant fast bowler Will O’Rourke.
Wicketkeeper Tom Blundell was on hand to collect 44 runs of Dhananjaya de Silva when Phillips had him chased and swept to the keeper.
This was Phillips’s 3rd wicket for the innings after he bowled out Dinesh Chandimal for 116 runs last in the opening day’s last session.
O’Rourke found form in the first Test where he had his second five-wicket haul in three matches, but could only watch as Sri Lanka’s innings lasted, giving away 81 runs for no wicket.
One Test match series which Sri Lanka is 1-0 up in the two match series was won by the hosts by 63 runs, and they are looking to win their first test series against the Kiwis since 2009.
For the first time in 40 matches played in Sri Lanka, they had scored over 500 runs against New Zealand on Friday.
New Zealand have not managed to win any of the five tests they have played at Galle.
