Nishan Madushka and Kusal Mendis both scored double centuries against Ireland on Thursday as Sri Lanka’s top four batsmen scored centuries for only the third time in Test history.
The hosts declared their first innings at 704 for 3 after tea on the fourth day of the second Test and led by 212 runs. Ireland were at 54/2 at stumps in their second innings, still trailing by 158 runs.
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Sri Lanka now have a day left to clinch the win and the series 2-0 which would maintain the visitors’ 100 per cent losing record in Tests.
Madushka converted his maiden Test century into a double century when he cut Matthew Humphrey for four, becoming the second youngest Sri Lankan to score 200 Test runs after Mehla Jayawardene.
He was dismissed for 205 in the third over after lunch, lbw to Andy McBrien, successfully reviewing the decision after Ireland had turned down an initial appeal.
Madushka’s marathon knock lasted just under eight hours and six minutes and he faced 339 balls and hit 22 fours and one six.
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Sri Lankan captain-in-waiting Mendis, who had twice been dismissed in the 190s, pushed Ben White’s delivery behind square to steal a single to reach his maiden Test 200.
He scored 245 runs and was one short of Wasim Akram’s world record of 12 sixes in a Test innings, before he was caught at long-off in an attempt to equal the mark.
Angelo Mathews was dismissed for a wicket in the first Test and was dismissed for one run in the match, but made the most of his relief by scoring his 16th Test century.
It gave the hosts their quadruple century entry in the history books, after India against Bangladesh in 2007 and Pakistan against Sri Lanka in 2019.
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Captain Dimuth Karunaratne, who scored 115 runs on Wednesday, made the announcement immediately.
His total of 704 for three was also the highest ever in Galle, having dismissed Bangladesh’s 638 all out in 2013.
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(This story has not been edited by News 18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)