Sri Lanka's Rathnayake Shines on Debut; Breaks 41-Year-Old Record After Batting Masterclass Vs ENG

Milan Rathnayake-(X.com)

After play on day 1 of the first Test between England and Sri Lanka, the visitors, batting first, tumbled for just 36 runs, while the hosts displayed their bazball style of play and stitched 22 runs on the board after just four overs.

Sri Lanka would have crumbled for a much lower score, but skipper Dhananjaya De Silva and debutant Milan Rathnayake shone with the bat. 

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Silva scored 74 (84), while, Rathnayake, who is playing his first Test, scored 72 (135).

With the fifty-plus knock, the Sri Lankan debutant scripted history and broke a 41-year-old record. Notably, Milan's 72 is the most runs scored by a No.9 batter on their debut. 

He broke the long-standing record set by one of India’s 1983 World Cup stars Balwinder Sandhu back in 1983. Balwinder had scored 71 runs coming in at number 9 on his debut against arch-rival Pakistan.

England vs Sri Lanka; 1st Test Summary So Far

Sri Lanka, batting first, were reduced to 113/7 at one point, but thanks to Silva and Milan's fifties, it helped the Island Nation post 236 runs on the board. 

Shoaib Bashir and Chris Woakes were the pick of the bowlers for their three-wicket haul. Meanwhile, Gus Atkinson took a two-wicket haul. 

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