Sri Lankan debutant Milan Rathnayake made headlines by breaking a 41-year-old Test record on the opening day of the first Test against England in Manchester. Rathnayake scored 72, surpassing the previous record for the highest score by a number 9 batsman in men's Test cricket, set by India's Balwinder Sandhu with 71 against Pakistan in Hyderabad in 1983.
Rathnayake’s innings were pivotal as he partnered with Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva to forge a crucial 63-run stand for the 8th wicket. This partnership helped Sri Lanka recover from a precarious 113/7, a situation exacerbated by England’s effective pace attack, led by Chris Woakes (3/32) and Gus Atkinson (2/48).
Rathnayake's innings of 72 from 135 balls was instrumental in Sri Lanka reaching 236 before the end of Day 1. His effort, however, came to an end when young spinner Shoaib Bashir, introduced into the attack, managed to dismiss him with a well-timed delivery. Rathnayake attempted an aerial drive but was caught comfortably by Woakes at mid-on.
Following Sri Lanka's dismissal for 236, England's openers, Ben Duckett and Daniel Lawrence, provided a solid start. Despite the absence of Zak Crawley, the duo struck three boundaries in just four overs, setting a positive tone for England. At stumps, England were 22/0, and they will look to build on this foundation on Day 2, employing their aggressive 'Bazball' approach to add significant runs to their total.