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Published 10:43 IST, September 10th 2024

SL's Pathum Nissanka Soars to New Heights, Becomes First in the World to Achieve Huge Milestone

With a performance that exceeded all expectations, Pathum Nissanka gave the Lankan Lions the upper hand. He also made history in the process at The Kia Oval.

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Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka celebrates after hitting the winning runs as Sri Lanka win by eight wickets on day four of the Third Rothesay Men's Test at The Kia Oval, in London | Image: AP

Sri Lanka has been riding high in confidence after securing a dominant win in the final Test Match of the series. The ENG vs SL series saw Sri Lanka pull off a massive rebound to pull off a win in the last match of the series to avoid a whitewash. One of the biggest highlights was Pathum Nissanka, as the opener outpaced expectations to deliver a supreme performance to put the Lankan Lions in the driver's seat. Not only did he help SL win the match, but Nissanka also made history in the process.

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Pathum Nissanka: Sri Lanka's Trailblazer Breaks Ground with Historic Milestone!

Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka made history after he become the first player to score half-centuries in both innings with a 100+ strike rate in a red-ball match being played in England. Nissanka's milestone is noteworthy since he is the one and only person to achieve it. Since 1880, which was when the first-ever Test match was played in England, no player had achieved a half-century with a strike rate greater than 100 prior to Nissanka.

Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka in action on day four of the Third Rothesay Men's Test against England at The Kia Oval, in London | Image: John Walton/PA via AP
 

Nissanka was responsible for leading Sri Lanka as the opener from the beginning of the third test match against England. He scored a blazing 64 off 51 balls in the first innings and achieved his half-century in just 41 balls. He continued his attacking approach in the second innings, where he embarrassed the English bowlers as he scored 127* off 124 balls with 13 fours and two sixes.

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Apart from the historic record he achieved, Pathum Nissanka became the third Sri Lanka cricketer to hit a ton in The Oval during a Test Match. The opener's unbeaten onslaught powered Sri Lanka to a win at The Oval. This is Sri Lanka's fourth test match win in England after The Oval in 1998, the Nottingham Test in 2006, and the Leeds Test in 2014.

After winning the ODI series against India, the Test Match win in England will be a big motivation for the Lankan Lions as they move ahead in their red-ball schedule.

Updated 10:49 IST, September 10th 2024