Mendis smashes fastest hundred by Sri Lankan in World Cups

Rex Clementine
in Hyderabad

There must have been record sales of Mendis Special at Moratuwa yesterday after a stunning knock by Kusal Mendis that enabled Sri Lanka to post their third highest total in World Cups and set Pakistan a stiff target of 345 here at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad.

No team has successfully chased that many in the history of World Cup with Ireland’s 329 for seven against England in Bangalore being the highest.

It was Sri Lanka’s highest total in World Cups against a full member country. They had posted 398 for five against Kenya in 1996 and 363 for nine against Scotland in 2015 in Hobart.

It was some maniac hitting by Mendis and he’s now the highest run scorer in this World Cup with 198 runs and Sri Lanka would be hoping that he keeps firing in a bid to have a chance to make it to the semis.

In the process, Mendis broke Kumar Sangakkara’s Sri Lankan record for the fastest century in World Cups. Sanga had scored a hundred off 70 balls against England in 2015 in Wellington. Mendis reached the milestone in 65 balls.

Leave alone his off field misdemeanors, you often wondered why the selectors have kept their faith in Mendis despite a string of low scores and he provided answers with the hundred yesterday although he was dropped twice on eight and 18.

Mendis 122 came off 77 balls with 14 fours and six sixes.

Sadeera Samarawickrama too scored a maiden ODI hundred but his effort was overshadowed by Mendis.

Nevertheless, it was a crucial knock. Mendis was dismissed in the 29th over and Charith Asalanka soon followed in the 31st. With so many overs left, Sri Lanka were facing the danger of getting bowled out inside 50 overs as it had happened time and again given their long tail.

Sadeera brought up Sri Lanka’s 300 with a superb inside out shot for six off left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz. His hundred came off 82 balls with 11 fours and a six.

Sri Lanka needed a quality performance like this after the hammering they were given by South Africa in Delhi where they lost by 102 runs.

Pakistan were one of teams fancied to feature in the semi-finals. If Sri Lanka’s games against Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Netherlands go to script and if they are able to pull off an upset against Australia, a semi-final berth is not out of the equation.