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Sri Lanka’s Milan Rathnayake Breaks 41-Year-Old Test Record with Impressive Debut Knock

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Image Credit: Sportskeeda
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Milan Rathnayake of Sri Lanka has been brought into the England test cricket scene, smashing a 41-year-old record in men’s Test cricket between his country and hosts England at Manchester. He scored the incredible best of 72 runs at number nine, one better than India’s Balwinder Sandhu, who scored 71 runs in the same Test match against Pakistan in 1983.

A Poor Start for Sri Lanka

The Test didn’t start well for Sri Lanka. The England bowlers, especially Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson, put unprecedented pressure on the Sri Lankan batting armory. England put the team under pressure at 113 for 7, and it didn’t look good for them to set a fighting target.

It was at this juncture that Milan Rathnayake made his way to the crease, making his Test debut. The 28-year-old showed much grace and grit, taking his time before playing his strokes. He had consumed 135 deliveries, with 72 runs to his name and quite a few well-timed boundaries, which revived the spirits of Sri Lanka.

Rathnayake’s performance was more special as it came at a juncture when his team needed it the most. He partnered with Dhananjaya de Silva, the captain of Sri Lanka, and added mightily to their 8th wicket. In total, they would go on to add 63 runs before Sri Lanka scored a total of 236 runs.

How Rathnayake Broke the Record

Rathnayake secured 72 runs—surpassing the previous best of 71 held by India’s Balwinder Sandhu in 1983. Sandhu has been the best for more than four decades, so competitiveness in the Sri Lankan was expected to be very stiff.

The young spinner Shoaib Bashir finally ended Rathnayake’s innings. Bashir bowled a well-pitched delivery, and that invited Rathnayake to go for a big shot. The shot didn’t have enough elevation, and Chris Woakes at mid-on took an easy catch.

Though Rathnayake was dismissed, he had already made a telling contribution to the game. His knock gave Sri Lanka a fighting chance in the match and showed his potential as a valuable player for his side in the future.

England’s Response

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Image Credit: Cricket Mood

After Sri Lanka was bowled out for 236, England openers Ben Duckett and Daniel Lawrence took up their innings pretty confidently. With the absence of regular opener Zak Crawley, it was well seen by Duckett and Lawrence that they provided a solid start to England. They hit three boundaries in just four overs, thus setting the tone for a strong reply.

The second day will be all about England’s response to Sri Lanka’s effort on the first day, precisely how they will handle Lankan bowling following a scintillating debut knock by Rathnayake. Sri Lanka bowlers would look to sustain pressure while containing the aggressive ‘Bazball’ that England has been playing. 

This could even impact team selection in the future if he continues to show his potential. Those key moments could be the lever or hinge of the match, which the fans of either country would desperately watch to see England make it good from their solid start or to see Sri Lanka crawling back.

Milan Rathnayake’s first performance was truly admirable. The calm and composure under pressure, combined with a knack for getting valuable runs, has earned him recognition and respect. This isn’t easy; breaking a 41-year-old record on debut is not an easy feat, and Rathnayake’s knock will go down as one of the high spots of this Test.

As the game unfolds, so will both teams look to build strong cricket match scores. Sri Lanka will draw on Rathnayake’s innings, while England will be looking for a strong finish to that good start. Cricket lovers around the world will join in waiting to see how this cricket match pans out.

Reference:

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/41-year-old-record-broken-sri-lanka-star-milan-rathnayake-makes-test-history-6390276

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