<div><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Swashbuckling Kusal Mendis smashed the fastest century for Sri Lanka in a World Cup match on Tuesday, guiding his team to an imposing 344-9 against Pakistan in Hyderabad.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>The 28-year-old cracked a 65-ball century before going on to make 122, his highest score in ODIs and third century.</div><div><br></div><div>It was an innings spiced with 14 boundaries and half a dozen sixes, leading the charge for Sri Lanka who won the toss and batted.</div><div><br></div><div>Sadeera Samarawickrama also joined the party with a brilliant maiden hundred, hitting 11 boundaries and two sixes in his 89-ball 108.</div><div><br></div><div>Mendis twice escaped dropped catches -- Shaheen Shah Afridi dropped him off his own bowling in the fifth over and then Imam-ul-Haq blundered in the next over again off Shaheen on 18.</div><div><br></div><div>Mendis completed his 50 off 40 balls with his seventh boundary, lifting Sri Lanka from the early loss of Kusal Perera (nought) in the second over to Hasan Ali.</div><div><br></div><div>He put on a 102 with Pathum Nissanka whose 51 came off 61 balls with seven boundaries and a six.</div><div><br></div><div>Once Nissanka fell to Shadab Khan, Mendis and Samarawickrama unleashed some superb hitting against Pakistan's pacers and spinners alike, adding 111 for the third wicket.</div><div><br></div><div>They were savage on fast bowler Haris Rauf, hitting him for two sixes and a boundary in the 21st over.</div><div><br></div><div>When Shaheen came back for a second spell, Mendis cracked three fours in the 25th over.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasan Ali was hoisted by Mendis for a six to allow the batsman his third hundred off 65 balls.</div><div><br></div><div>It was his first century in thee-and-a-half years but he had made 76 in the opening defeat to South Africa and now has at least five half-centuries in his last seven ODIs.</div><div><br></div><div>Previously, Kumar Sangakkara held the Sri Lanka World Cup record with a 70-ball hundred, scored against England in 2015.</div><div><br></div><div>Mendis's previous best was 119 against the West Indies in Hambantota in February 2020.</div><div><br></div><div>Mendis hit two sixes off Hasan's 29th over before he holed out at deep mid-wicket boundary off Hasan Ali.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasan then removed Charith Asalanka for one but Samarawickrama and Dhananjaya de Silva (25) added 65 for the fifth wicket.</div><div><br></div><div>Hasan finished as the best bowler with 4-71 while Rauf took 2-64.</div><div><br></div><div>Brief scores:</div><div>Sri Lanka 344-9 in 50 overs (K. Mendis 122, S. Samarawickrama 108, P. Nissanka 51; Hasan Ali 4-71) - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>