Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis’ name got registered in the record books with his century in the second Test against New Zealand in Galle.
Sri Lankan middle-order batsman Kamindu Mendis etched his name in the record books in Galle on Friday when he became the fourth cricketer to score 1,000 runs in 13 Test innings.
The 25-year-old has played only eight Test matches since his debut against Australia at the same venue two years ago, but he has quickly made a name for himself as a key player.
Six of these matches have been played since March, when he scored his maiden five-day century against Bangladesh.
His unbeaten 182 against New Zealand on Friday made him equal with Australia’s Donald Bradman for the third fastest to 1,000 runs, widely regarded as the game’s greatest batsman.
Only two others have been able to surpass him, with England’s Herbert Sutcliffe and West Indies’ Everton Weekes both reaching this historic feat in 12 innings.
This is yet another achievement for the young left-hander as he has scored his eighth consecutive half-century in eight Test matches since the start of the second Test on Thursday.
Friday’s innings brought him five Test centuries in 13 innings – a record that puts him level with Bradman as well as West Indies’ George Hadlee.
Only three batsmen have reached the milestone faster, with Weeks tied for 10th and Sutcliffe tied for 12th with Australia’s Neil Harvey.
By the time Sri Lanka declared at 602-5, he had shared a 200-run partnership with fellow centurion Kusal Mendis (106*) in Galle – where Kamindu was born and brought up.
Kamindu was the only cricketer to score a century on either side in the first Test against New Zealand, which Sri Lanka won by 63 runs.
He has been in great form this year and was the leading run-scorer for Sri Lanka in the last two series against Bangladesh and England.
