Mendis turns tables on Aussies

Sri Lanka 117 & 282-6 Australia 203 Stumps, Day Three

Sri Lanka won the toss and batted Umpires: RA Kettleborough, S Ravi

1st Test, Pallekele, July 26

SIX Tests into an international career with a high score of 53, it would have been wrong for anyone to expect any heroics from Kusal Mendis. Especially when you judge the situation the 21year-old was facing.

Walking to the crease at 6-2, with his Sri Lanka side still 80 runs short of making Australia bat again, everything seemed destined for failure. After all, Mendis had survived just seven deliveries in the first innings.

Fast forward a few hours though, and Test century No.1 was made and hosts Sri Lanka look to be in the driving seat of this first Test of three.

When rain and bad light brought an early end to day three, Mendis was unbeaten on 169, with Sri Lanka now leading by 196.

Australia will, perhaps, feel as if they should have had more of a lead going into the hosts’ second innings. Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon each took three wickets as Sri Lanka fell apart on the first day having won the toss and chosen to bat. Dhananjaya de Silva top scored with 24 but 117 never looked competitive.

The touring side barely passed 200, though, in their first innings with Rangana Herath and debutant Lakshan Sandakan each claiming four. Adam Voges offered most resistance, but he fell three short of a half-century.

And at 6-2, it looked as if this Test could be over inside three days, but Mendis batted through Thursday, having walked to the crease after three balls of the day.

He had hit 20 boundaries and one maximum in his stay before bad light and rain brought an early end to proceedings, just like it had done on the first two days of this Test.

By stumps, Mendis’s score looked outrageous compared to the rest of the top order: 4,7, 0, 169*, 9. And he had lead his team to a more than competitive total.

Chasing 200 on this pitch, with Herath down the other end? Rather you than me Steven Smith and Co.

Sri Lanka v Australia fixtures: Second Test – August 4-8, Galle Third Test – August 13-17, Colombo

ZIMBABWE recovered from 72-8 to post 164 all out in their first Test with New Zealand. Neil Wagner claimed 6-41 but it was Donald Tiripano who caught the eye with an unbeaten 49 batting at No. 10.