Milan Rathnayake, the star player of Sri Lanka, makes Test history.
The debutant of Sri Lanka, Milan Rathnayake, broke a 41-year-old Test record by putting up the highest score by a batter at the number 9 spot in men’s red-ball cricket. The 28-year-old surpassed the 71-run record of India’s Balwinder Sandhu, an amazing knock that came against Pakistan in Hyderabad in 1983. On the opening day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and England in Manchester, the visitors put up a valiant fight, and Rathnayake was at the center of all the action.
On his Test debut, Rathnayake came out to bat at number nine when England’s clinical bowling attack had reduced them to 113/7. The pace duo of Chris Woakes (3/32) and Gus Atkinson (2/48) played a substantial role in ripping apart Sri Lanka’s top order.
Rathnayake relied on his composure and racked up 72 off 135 deliveries, which propelled Sri Lanka to 236 before the opening day of the series opener concluded. He joined hands with Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva at the crease and forged a 63-run partnership for the eighth wicket.