SL vs NZ, WATCH | Southee flies to his right at slip to grab a worldie and dispatch Nissanka

Today at 2:42 PM

In the era of modern sports science, age can truly be distilled down to just a number with increasing frequency. Take the specimen that is Tim Southee as Exhibit A who not only is leading his Test side at 35 but pulling off ridiculously improbable takes, in Galle against Sri Lanka.

‌Half-centuries from Kane Williamson and Daryl Mithcell as well as unbeaten quick 49 from Glenn Phillips earned the Kiwis a 35-run first innings lead on the morning of Day 3 in the first Test at Galle on Friday. The Lions' openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka thus walked out to bat with a little over half an hour to go for Lunch and even though the hosts managed to practically erase the deficit by the break, it came at the cost of their in-form opener Nissanka courtesy of a spectacular grab from oppposing skipper Tim Southee.

Nissnaka was up against William O'Rourke in the third over when the tall right-arm quick banged his penultimate delivery slightly short of a length which nipped in along the angle. Taken aback by the bounce, Nissanka tried to fend it off with a raised bat at the last moment but could only manage an outside edge as the ball flew towards the slip cordon. The red cherry seemed destined to clear Southee at first slip and race away to the boundary when the Black Cap leapt to his right and held onto the ball with an extended right arm with his body parallel to the ground.

The entire New Zealand team rushed to congratulate the veteran on the catch while the man himself only flashed a typical sheepish smile to acknowledge the praise.