The opening day of the first Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Old Trafford saw a gripping contest between bat and ball. Sri Lanka, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, struggled early on against a dominant England bowling attack. However, a valiant effort by debutant Milan Rathnayake, combined with skipper Dhananjaya de Silva’s crucial half-century, helped Sri Lanka reach a respectable total of 236.
England’s Early Dominance
England wasted no time in putting pressure on Sri Lanka. Within the first five overs, they made their presence felt by striking early. Sri Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne was the first to fall, caught off guard by a sharp bouncer from Gus Atkinson. Attempting a pull shot, Karunaratne got a top edge, leading to his dismissal.
Chris Woakes then took control of the game, delivering a devastating blow by taking two wickets in a single over. One of those wickets was the prized scalp of veteran Angelo Matthews. At this point, Sri Lanka was struggling at 6/3, with their top order crumbling under England’s relentless attack.
Kusal Mendis Offers Resistance
Kusal Mendis, who had been patient until then, finally broke the shackles in the 11th over. He struck two consecutive boundaries off Matthew Potts, offering a glimmer of hope to the Sri Lankan side. Mendis repeated the feat in Potts’ next over, forcing England to bring in Mark Wood to change the momentum.
The introduction of Wood worked wonders for England, as he delivered a fierce delivery that dismissed Mendis. Soon after, Shoaib Bashir added to Sri Lanka’s woes by trapping Dinesh Chandimal lbw just before the lunch break. Sri Lanka was left reeling with half their side back in the pavilion.
Dhananjaya and Rathnayake’s Crucial Partnership
The situation did not improve for Sri Lanka post-lunch. Chris Woakes continued his excellent form, claiming his third wicket by dismissing Kamindu Mendis. With the score at 86/6, Sri Lanka was staring at the possibility of a very low total. However, skipper Dhananjaya de Silva began to counterattack, starting with a boundary to regain some momentum.
Dhananjaya found an unlikely partner in debutant Milan Rathnayake. While Dhananjaya scored more freely, Rathnayake focused on defending his wicket. The duo managed to add over 50 runs together, slowly dragging Sri Lanka towards a more respectable total.
Just when it seemed like Dhananjaya might reach a century, England struck against the run of play. Shoaib Bashir managed to dismiss the Sri Lankan skipper, who was caught at leg slip while attempting a glance. With Dhananjaya gone, Sri Lanka’s hopes rested on Rathnayake.
Rathnayake’s Impressive Debut
Rathnayake continued to show resilience in the final session. He found support from Vishwa Fernando at the other end and gradually built his innings. The highlight of Rathnayake’s knock was a massive six over long-on that brought up his maiden fifty. His confidence grew as he dispatched Joe Root for another six and Bashir for a four, keeping the England bowlers at bay.
However, Rathnayake’s courageous innings eventually came to an end when he tried for another big hit but failed to clear the boundary. He was dismissed for a well-made 72. Following his dismissal, England quickly wrapped up the Sri Lankan innings for 236.
England’s Response
Due to poor light conditions, Sri Lanka had to open their bowling with spinners from both ends. England managed to score 22 runs from just four overs before the umpires decided that the light was too dim to continue play.
The first day of the Test ended with both teams having their moments. England’s bowlers dominated the early part of the day, but Sri Lanka’s lower order, led by Milan Rathnayake, fought back valiantly. As the Test progresses, it will be interesting to see how England responds with the bat on the second day.
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