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The Sri Lankan team stands on the cusp of history, as heading into day four of the second Test against New Zealand at Galle, they have a 315-run lead with five more Kiwi wickets left to take, which could help them secure their first series win against the Kiwis since 2009.
The Island nation, which lost its series to Kiwis away from home by 2-0 in the 2022-23 season and drew the two-match series at home back in 2019 by 1-1, has a chance to upset the 2021 ICC World Test Champions and secure their first series win in 15 years. In these 15 years, they lost three series, all away from home and managed to draw two, both at home. If Sri Lanka secures this victory, it will have plenty of architects in every department, be it in batting or bowling. Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Sri Lankan batters went on a batting marathon. After quick dismissal of Pathum Nissanka for one, came three gigantic centuries from Dinesh Chandimal (116 in 208 balls, with 15 fours), Kamindu Mendis (182 in 250 balls, with 16 fours and four sixes) and Kusal Mendis (106 in 49 balls, with six fours and three sixes). These knocks moved SL to 602/5 declared in the first innings, which lasted for largely first two days of the match. Each of these centuries had some milestones associated with it. Chandimal joined likes of Tilakrathne Dilshan, Marvan Athapattu, Dimuth Karunaratne, and Angelo Mathews to become fourth-highest century-maker for Lanka in Tests, with 16 centuries each. Kamindu continued his monumental run in Tests, tying with legendary Australian Don Bradman to reach the 1,000 Test runs mark in just 13 innings, the second-fastest by a batter and fastest by a Lankan. He also tied with Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar for joint-most fifty-plus scores in the first eight Tests, with nine such scores. Kamindu's Test batting average, which currently stands at 91.27, is only bettered by legendary Bradman himself, who had an average of 99.94. With his century, Kusal became only the 10th Sri Lankan player to reach the 10,000 run mark in international cricket, joining elite players like Athapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Mathews, Dilshan among others. In their first innings, it was as if Kiwis had forgotten how to bat as wickets fell in heaps on a spin-friendly surface. Mitchell Santner (29 in 51 balls, with four boundaries and a six) was the top-scorer as NZ was bundled out for just 88 runs in 39.5 overs. Spinner Prabath Jayasuriya continued his love affair with Galle, taking 6/42 and his eighth five-wicket haul at the venue. Nishan Peiris, another spinner in the squad, picked up 3/33 in his debut Test. Sri Lanka led by 514 runs, the fifth-highest ever first-inning lead in Test cricket history. Kiwis fared slightly better in their second innings during follow on, ending day three at 199/5, with Devon Conway (61 in 62 balls, with 10 fours and a six) making a return-to-form fifty and Kane Williamson (46), Tom Blundell (47*), being among the runs. Can Prabath and Nishan power Lanka to a famous Test win and boost their chances of a World Test Championship final appearance? Only time will tell. (ANI)
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