The Sri Lankan pair of Angelo Mathews and Kamindu Mendis couldn’t build on their century, with Mathews dismissed after playing a reckless shot.
Dhananjaya de Silva soon followed, but Kamindu Mendis held firm, keeping the Kiwis under pressure. After lunch, the visitors’ efforts were momentarily interrupted by an unexpected guest, forcing Glenn Phillips to halt his run-up.
Having conceded just one run from the first five balls of the 129th over, Phillips focused on taking the wicket of the well-settled Mendis.
Just as he prepared to bowl, a crow swooped onto the pitch, disrupting his delivery.
— Arijit Shanto (@ArijitShan18431) September 27, 2024
While interruptions from birds aren’t uncommon in cricket, this particular incident added to the visitors’ frustrations and set social media abuzz.