Sri Lankan debutant Milan Rathnayake made history on the opening day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and England in Manchester by breaking a 41-year-old record for the highest score by a number nine batter in men’s Test cricket. Rathnayake’s 72 off 135 balls surpassed India’s Balwinder Sandhu’s 1983 record of 71 against Pakistan.
It didn’t take long for Milan Rathnayake to make an impression on his Test debut 💪#ENGvSL | #WTC25
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Rathnayake came to the crease with Sri Lanka in trouble at 113/7, following a strong bowling display by England’s Chris Woakes (3/32) and Gus Atkinson (2/48). Teaming up with captain Dhananjaya de Silva, Rathnayake helped forge a crucial 63-run partnership for the 8th wicket, eventually lifting Sri Lanka to a total of 236.
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His determined innings ended when England’s young spinner Shoaib Bashir lured him into a drive, resulting in a comfortable catch for Woakes at mid-on. England ended the day at 22/0, with openers Ben Duckett and Daniel Lawrence giving the hosts a steady start.
As England looks to build on their solid opening on Day 2, they’ll likely rely on their aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach to gain an upper hand in the Test.
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