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On Friday, Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis equalled Australian legend Don Bradman for the number of innings taken to reach 1000 Test runs, becoming the fastest in 75 years to reach the milestone.
Kamindu Mendis became the joint-third fastest player to reach 1000 Test runs during the second Sri Lanka vs New Zealand test, where he equalled Bradman’s record of 13 innings to achieve the feat.
Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva had chosen to bat first on day one (Thursday) in Galle. The hosts were 306-3 at stumps by the end of day one.
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On day two, Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis resumed batting for the hosts. Mathews (88) was the first wicket to fall on the day, while de Silva then fell for 44 on the final ball before lunch.
In the second session, Kusal Mendis joined Kamindu in the crease, and the left-hander went on to score his fifth Test century in just his 13th innings in the format.
The pair piled on the runs for Sri Lanka, and both players reached significant milestones – Kusal on a century and Kamindu on the 1000-run mark in Test cricket.
After tea, Kamindu moved past 150, requiring 178 in this knock to notch up 1000 Test runs and going past it in the final session of the day, with a six over long off.
By reaching it in 13 innings, he matched the time taken by Donald Bradman to score 1000 Test runs, and became the fastest player to the mark in terms of innings batted, for 75 years.
Fastest to five hundreds from Test debut (innings)
- 10 – Everton Weekes (West Indies) – 1948
- 12 – Robert Harvey (Australia) – 1925
- 12 – Herbert Sutcliffe (England) – 1931
- 13 – Don Bradman (Australia) – 1930
- 13 – George Headley (West Indies) – 1931
- 13 –Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka)– 2024
This was Mendis’ fifth Test century, and he became the fastest Asian batter to reach the landmark, surpassing Pakistan’s Fawad Alam, who held the record in 22 innings.
Also Read: Top 5 Australian Bowlers With Most Wickets In ODIs
Mendis became the first cricketer in the 147 years of Test cricket to hit a 50-plus score in all of his first eight Test matches. Mendis etched his name on the record books on day one of the second Test against New Zealand by slamming his fifth half-century and eighth consecutive 50-plus score ever since his debut against Australia two years ago.
