Kamindu Mendis equals Babar Azam's Test record with unbeaten half-century

Sri Lankan batter Kamindu Mendis added another remarkable achievement to his career as he equaled Pakistan's ace batter Babar Azam’s two-year-old Test record. Mendis reached this milestone after scoring an unbeaten half-century on the opening day of Sri Lanka’s second Test against New Zealand.

This marked his eighth consecutive half-century in Test cricket, placing him alongside Babar Azam, who accomplished the same feat in 2022. Since 2018, only these two batters have achieved such consistency in the longest format.

Mendis, who has been in outstanding form since his Test return, also set a new record. He became the first batter in Test history to score a fifty or more in each of his first eight Tests, surpassing Pakistan’s Saud Shakeel, who previously held the record with seven consecutive 50-plus scores.

Most 50-plus Scores in Consecutive Tests:

1. Kamindu Mendis (SL) - 8 Matches*
2. Saud Shakeel (PAK) - 7 Matches
3. Bert Sutcliffe (NZ) - 6 Matches
4. Saeed Ahmed (PAK) - 6 Matches
5. Basil Butcher (WI) - 6 Matches
6. Sunil Gavaskar (IND) - 6 Matches

Mendis made his Test debut for Sri Lanka in 2022 against Australia in Galle, scoring a well-crafted 61 that helped Sri Lanka secure an innings victory. Despite a stunning start, he was out of the Test team for almost two years, only to make a triumphant return earlier this year in the away series against Bangladesh, where he scored centuries in both innings of the Sylhet Test and narrowly missed another century with a score of 92 in Chittagong.