Sri Lanka’s debutant Milan Rathnayake broke a 41-year-old record — registering the highest score by a No 9 on debut, during Day 1 of the first Test against England at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Rathnayake scored a brilliant 72 from 135 balls for the best score by any batter at No. 9 on Test debut, surpassing the previous highest of 71 by India’s Balwinder Sandhu against Pakistan in Hyderabad in 1983.
Coming into bat with Sri Lanka struggling 113/7, Rathnayake’s knock rallied Sri Lanka to a competitive total of 236 in their first innings.
He put on a vital stand of 63 for the eighth wicket with skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, who stroked 74 to rescue the visitors.
England pacers Chris Woakes (3/32) and Gus Atkinson (2/48) had ripped through the Sri Lankan top-order to leave them struggling on 80/5 at lunch.
