Pathum Nissanka’s inspiring story is one of perseverance and dedication. His father used to clean cricket grounds, and his mother sold flowers outside a temple. Today, Pathum has made his mark by scoring a brilliant century against Bangladesh in the first innings of the Test match at Galle.

A Powerful Century on Home Soil

Nissanka’s century came off just 136 balls, featuring 13 fours and a six. This is the third century of his Test career but his first on home ground, marking a significant milestone for the 27-year-old batsman.

Sri Lanka’s Strong Response

After Bangladesh posted a massive 495 runs in the first innings, Sri Lanka started their reply cautiously, losing the first wicket at 47. Pathum Nissanka and Dinesh Chandimal then steadied the innings with a strong partnership, adding 100 runs together. Nissanka reached his half-century in 88 balls and accelerated to his century soon after. Chandimal also contributed a solid half-century.

Pathum Nissanka: A Bright Future for Sri Lanka

Nissanka is widely regarded as Sri Lanka’s future in cricket. During this innings, he also crossed 1000 Test runs in just 29 innings—a remarkable achievement. Apart from Tests, Nissanka has been prolific in ODIs and T20s as well. He has scored 2508 runs in 66 ODIs at an average above 41, including a double century. In T20 cricket, he has amassed 1734 runs with an average close to 30.