Kusal Mendis gets a Kiwi bat

If Sri Lankans posses a habit of complaining that Australians have plenty of apathy or arrogance towards them on tours, they found the New Zealanders to be their best friends even in times of adversity during their recent tour.

And none in the Sri Lanka team will vouch for it any better than young batsman Kusal Mendis who played his maiden overseas Test on the concluded tour of New Zealand.

Mendis broke his bat while at the crease in the first Test at Dunedin but found an unexpected ally in rival player Kane Williamson who gave him a replacement one which he used for the rest of his tour.

Mendis made scores of 8, 46, 31 and 46 in the two Test matches.