Mendis finally comes good after years of false dawns

In a country where schoolboy cricket is a religion and teenage prodigies are thrust into the limelight before they've even sprouted a stubble, Sri Lanka's conveyor belt of talent has never run dry. From Anura Tennekoon to Arjuna Ranatunga and more recently Mahela Jayawardene, the island has always had a knack for spotting its next big thing before the ink dried on their GCE O/Level results.

- REX CLEMENTINE IN DAMBULLA

Kusal Mendis, cut from that same cloth, was earmarked for greatness long before he left the gates of Prince of Wales College, Moratuwa. Elegant against pace, wristy against spin and composed on treacherous wickets, Mendis had all the hallmarks of a future batting colossus.

Such was the faith in his ability that he was fast-tracked into the Test side with barely a handful of First-Class appearances to his name. The move paid rich dividends when, in 2016, Mendis played a starring role in Sri Lanka's historic 3-0 whitewash of Australia a feat that still raises eyebrows for this was against Starc and Hazelwood.

But as is often the case in Sri Lankan cricket, the brightest stars sometimes burn out the quickest. What followed was a rollercoaster ride moments of brilliance drowned in an ocean of inconsistency.