Sri Lanka's Milan Rathnayake breaks 41-year-old Test record

Sri Lanka debutant Milan Rathnayake set a new Test cricket record during the ongoing first Test of the three-match series against England in Manchester.

Milan Rathnayake broke a 41-year-old Test record by registering the highest score by a debutant cricketer at No. 9 in the history of men's Test cricket.

Sri Lanka Test skipper Dhananjaya de Silva opted to bat first at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday, August 21.

The visiting team lost their three wickets with just six runs within seven overs. They lost wickets at regular intervals and collapsed to 113/7 in their first innings of the series opener.

Milan Rathnayake Smashes Brilliant Half-Century For Sri Lanka

Milan Rathnayake came in at number nine after Sri Lanka's top order was dismantled by England bowlers on the opening day.

Rathnayake then formed a crucial 63-run partnership with Dhananjaya de Silva for the eighth wicket. De Silva scored 74 runs off 84 deliveries with the help of eight boundaries.

Rathnayake added a 50-run stand with Vishwa Fernando for the ninth wicket. He was dismissed after scoring 72 runs off 135 balls, including six fours and two sixes.

The left-handed batter was dismissed by young spinner Shoaib Bashir. Sri Lanka was bowled out for 236 on the first day of the series opener.

Milan Rathnayake Breaks 41-Year-Old Test Record

The 28-year-old cricketer registered the highest individual score by a debutant at No. 9 in Test cricket.

Rathnayake broke Balwinder Sandhu's record (71 runs) that came against Pakistan in Hyderabad in 1983. He surpassed this record with a double off Shoaib Bashir in the 71st over of the first innings.

The lower-order batter took 96 balls to reach his half-century. Rathnayake became the first Sri Lankan to score a half-century at No. 9 or lower on Test debut, surpassing Suresh Perera's previous record of 43* against England in 1998. Rathnayake became the 166th player to represent Sri Lanka in Test cricket.

He Seemed To Time His Punches Perfectly - Michael Vaughan

Former England captain Michael Vaughan praised Dhananjaya de Silva and Milan Rathnayake for their batting performance in the ongoing Test match. Vaughan noted that Rathnayake managed to score boundaries when needed in the first innings.

"You think you have got them and suddenly the captain played really well. I thought he looked in fantastic form. He made batting look quite easy against some quick bowling from Mark Wood," Vaughan stated.

"Then Rathnayake on debut, what a left-hander he is, to come and play the way he did. He seemed to time his punches perfectly. Every time he needed a boundary, he seemed to have the flourish of the bat to find the boundary," he added.

After Sri Lanka was dismissed for 236, England openers Ben Duckett and Daniel Lawrence started their innings aggressively. They hit three boundaries within four overs. By the end of the first day, England was at 22/0 and will aim to build a strong total on Day 2.

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