Kusal Mendis shines with 84 in Colombo Test: Key stats
What's the story
Sri Lankan batting ace Kusal Mendis slammed a fiery 84 versus Bangladesh on Day 3 of the 2nd Test in Colombo. Mendis walked in when SL lost three quick wickets in the morning session. He batted with great intent thereafter and pushed SL past the 400-run mark. His brilliance meant SL posted 458/10 while batting second. Here we decode his stats.
Knock
A fine knock from Mendis
Responding to Bangladesh's first innings score of 247/10, SL were placed at 335/5 when Mendis arrived. He added 49 runs with Kamindu Mendis (33) to take the hosts past 350. The former was then involved in several small partnerships with the tail-enders. He even enhanced the scoring rate in the latter half of the innings before getting run out on 84.
Career
Here are his career stats
Mendis's 84 off 87 balls included eight fours and two sixes. Playing his 73rd Test, Mendis has raced to 4,757 runs at an average of 36.87. His tally includes 10 centuries and 22 fifties. As per ESPNcricinfo, Mendis has scored a whopping 841 runs across 10 Tests against Bangladesh at an average of 52.56 (100s: 2, 50s: 4).
Information
Fifer for Taijul
Besides Mendis, SL were powered by 50-plus scores from Pathum Nissanka (158) and Dinesh Chandimal (93). Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who took a fifer, was the pick of the Bangladesh bowlers. SL, meanwhile, gained a massive 211-run first-innings lead.