Chandimal Shines with Century as Sri Lanka Control Day 1 Against New Zealand
Chandimal Shines with Century as Sri Lanka Control Day 1 Against New Zealand: Sri Lanka finished the first day of the second test against New Zealand in a commanding position, reaching 306 for 3, largely thanks to a superb century by Dinesh Chandimal. Opting to bat, the hosts recovered from the early loss of Pathum Nissanka in the opening over to build solid partnerships, putting New Zealand on the back foot in Colombo.
Chandimal, who crafted a steady 116, forged crucial stands with Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews, keeping Sri Lanka in control throughout the day. Despite a shaky start, Chandimal grew in confidence, posting a 122-run partnership with Karunaratne (46) for the second wicket. The duo steadied the ship after Nissanka fell for 1, edging Tim Southee to the keeper in the first over.
Karunaratne’s innings, however, was marred by missed chances as New Zealand’s sloppy fielding saw him dropped twice, on 6 and 17. His promising innings was cut short by a run-out after a mix-up with Chandimal, leaving him stranded four runs short of his half-century.
Angelo Mathews (78*) and Kamindu Mendis (51*) continued the momentum in the latter part of the day. Mendis added another milestone to his impressive career, becoming the first player to score a half-century in each of his first eight test matches. The two have put on an unbeaten 103-run stand, taking Sri Lanka to a strong position ahead of day two.
New Zealand’s day in the field was riddled with errors, with multiple dropped catches and a costly no-ball that gave Mathews a reprieve after being caught behind. Southee’s early breakthrough and Graham Phillip’s late dismissal of Chandimal were the only moments of success for the visitors.
With wickets in hand and a substantial score on the board, Sri Lanka will look to push on and capitalize on New Zealand’s struggles, aiming to set up a massive first-innings total.
Key Highlights:
New Zealand: Struggled with dropped catches and missed opportunities
Dinesh Chandimal: 116 (16th Test century, first against New Zealand)
Dimuth Karunaratne: 46 (run-out after a 122-run partnership with Chandimal)
Angelo Mathews: 78* (two reprieves)
Kamindu Mendis: 51* (first batter to score 50+ in his first eight tests)
