Mendis puts Lanka in early control against NZ

Agency :
Kusal Mendis made a lively 87 off 83 balls to put tourists Sri Lanka in the driving seat at 305-6 on the opening day of the first Test against New Zealand on Thursday.
Black Caps captain Tim Southee won the toss in Christchurch, where conditions were ripe for his attack to strike, but instead it was Sri Lanka’s band of classy batters who dominated.
Batting first on a green wicket, Sri Lanka quickly lost opener Oshada Fernando for 13.
It was heavily overcast and the ground floodlights were on, but despite the early wicket, Sri Lanka’s second-wicket pair of Dimuth Karunaratne and Mendis were unfazed.
They cracked a rollicking 137 in 27 overs, with Mendis belting 16 boundaries while Karunaratne contributed 50 off 87.