Kamindu Mendis becomes joint-third fastest to 1000 Test runs, goes level with Don Bradman

Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis became the joint-third fastest player to reach 1000 Test runs during the second Test against New Zealand on Friday.

The 25-year-old achieved this feat by hitting a six off Rachin Ravindra. He goes level with Australia great Don Bradman’s record of 13 innings.

Earlier today, Mendis brought up his fifth Test century which made him the fastest Asian batter to do so. He is now joint-fourth fastest in the all-time list of fastest batters to five Test centuries.

On Thursday, Mendis created a world record for the most successive fifty-plus scores since debut, scoring eight half-centuries after his first match against Australia two years ago.

Mendis scored a huge hundred (182 not out in 250 deliveries). During his knock, the 25-year-old completed 1,000 runs in Tests. The left-handed batsman has gone past the 1000-run mark in Tests in only 13 innings.

By taking only 13 innings to cross 1,000 runs in Tests, Mendis has now become the third fastest batter in Test history to go past the milestone. Mendis has levellled with Australian legend Sir Don Bradman in the list of the batters fastest (in terms of innings) to 1000 runs in the format.

As things stand Mendis and Bradman are only behind Herbert Sutcliffe, Sir Everton Weekes.

Mendis, who made is Test debut against Australia in 2022, is currently leading the chart of the batters with most Test hundreds in 2024. He has hit five centuries this year and is ahead of former England captain Joe Root by one hundred.

Mendis monumental hundred along with centuries from Dinesh Chandimal (116 in 208 balls) and Kusal Mendis (106 n.o, in 149 balls) helped Sri Lanka to a huge total of 602/5 declared.

Sri Lanka won the first Test by 63 runs.

Source: Sportstar/ CNBCTV18

--Agencies