Wed Sep 18 10:28:14 UTC 2024: ## Mendis Inches Closer to Century as Sri Lanka Fight Back Against New Zealand

**Galle, Sri Lanka:** Kamindu Mendis is on the cusp of a century as Sri Lanka battled back against New Zealand on the first day of the first Test match in Galle. The all-rounder, who has now scored 50+ runs in six consecutive Test matches, has been a pillar of resilience for the hosts, keeping their innings afloat despite early setbacks.

Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first, but they were rocked early by William O’Rourke, who picked up two quick wickets, dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka cheaply. The hosts were struggling at 33/2.

However, Mendis, along with Kusal Mendis, rebuilt the innings with a crucial partnership. The duo took the score past 200 before O’Rourke finally broke the stand, dismissing Angelo Mathews just before tea. Sri Lanka went into the break at 178/5.

Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka were further hampered by the loss of Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva, both falling to Glenn Phillips. However, Angelo Mathews’ injury, which initially seemed serious, turned out to be a mild swelling and the veteran batsman is expected to return to the crease.

New Zealand bowlers were able to extract some bounce and movement from the surface, keeping Sri Lanka under pressure. The Black Caps will be hoping to capitalise on this advantage in the coming days and take a significant lead in the first Test.

With the clouds gathering and the covers being brought on, the play was interrupted as the day came to a close. Will Mendis complete his century and lead Sri Lanka to a strong first innings total? Stay tuned for the exciting second day of this Test match.

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