On the first day of the 1st Test between England and Sri Lanka, the visitors struggled early, managing only 36 runs before England showcased their aggressive “Bazball” approach, scoring 22 runs in just four overs. Sri Lanka’s innings could have ended even sooner if not for the standout performances from captain Dhananjaya de Silva and debutant Milan Rathnayake.
De Silva played a crucial knock of 74 off 84 balls, while Milan Rathnayake, making his Test debut, contributed 72 off 135 balls. Rathnayake’s innings was particularly noteworthy as he set a new record for the highest score by a No. 9 batter on debut, surpassing the previous record of 71 runs set by India’s Balwinder Sandhu in 1983.
Despite falling to 113/7 at one point, Sri Lanka reached 236 runs thanks to the key partnerships between de Silva and Milan Rathnayake. For England, Shoaib Bashir and Chris Woakes were the standout bowlers, each claiming three wickets, while Gus Atkinson added two wickets to his tally.
As the game progresses, England will aim to build on their strong start, while Sri Lanka will look to their bowlers to challenge the hosts and build on the resilience shown by their batsmen.
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