The first Test between England and Sri Lanka got underway on Wednesday (August 21) at the Old Trafford in Manchester. The visitors made a brave decision to bat first after winning the toss and also picked a debutant Milan Rathnayake in their playing XI majorly for his bowling ability. But little did anyone know that the 28-year-old would create a world record with the bat and bail Sri Lanka out of trouble on the opening day.
Rathnayake came out to bat number nine when his team was struggling immensely at 113/7. Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva was batting well in the middle then and was desperately looking for support from the other end. The debutant did exactly that and Sri Lanka recovered from a precarious position with a 63-run stand between them for the eighth wicket.
De Silva got out after scoring 74 runs but Rathnayake stood strong even after that adding 50 runs for the ninth wicket with Vishwa Fernando before Sri Lanka got out eventually bowled out for 236 runs in 74 overs. The debutant scored 72 runs off 135 deliveries with six fours and two sixes, a commendable effort on debut. At the same time, he registered the highest score for a player at number nine on Test debut.
India's Balwinder Sandhu held this record before, having mustered 71 runs on Test debut way back in 1983 against Pakistan. The 41-year-old record, however, has now been broken by Milan Rathnayake much to the delight of the Sri Lankan fans.
Highest scores at number 9 on Test debut
| Player | Score | Opposition | Year |
| Milan Rathnayake (SL) | 72 | England | 2024 |
| Balwinder Sandhu (IND) | 71 | Pakistan | 1983 |
| Darren Gough (ENG) | 65 | New Zealand | 1994 |
| Monde Zondeki (SA) | 59 | England | 2003 |
| Wilf Ferguson (WI) | 56* | England | 1948 |
As far as the ongoing Test match is concerned, Milan Rathnayake, 6 ft tall, will be crucial for the visitors with the ball as they will look to restrict England in the first innings. The hosts finished the opening day with 22/0 in four overs and the first session on the second day will be important for both teams.
