England’s Test match has a relaxed and casual vibe, gradually winding down before the final moments. Sri Lanka is determined to put an end to their winning streak and prevent them from achieving a flawless home summer for the first time in two decades.
With 16 wickets taken on a thrilling third day, the tourists found themselves in a favourable position. Sri Lanka successfully chased down a target of 219 runs with the help of Vishwa Fernando’s impressive left-arm swing and Lahiru Kumara’s excellent four-wicket haul. This victory came after they had faced a first-inning deficit of 62 runs.
England’s total of 156 all out in 34 overs and 94 for one on the digital scoreboard was a cause for relief when the umpires called them back in the morning.
Following Jamie Smith’s impressive 67, England encountered a resolute opener. Pathum Nissanka showcased his exceptional skills by scoring an unbeaten 53 runs from 44 balls. He displayed his dominance despite Gus Atkinson facing difficulties due to a thigh problem. Sri Lanka were optimistic about securing their first Test victory on English soil in a decade as Kusal Mendis reached a score of 30 not out.
Smith’s previous counterattack was exceptional and invaluable for England, validating the overall plan. If nine wickets fall on Monday, he could become the talk of SE11. Nevertheless, with a two-nil lead and the series already in their grasp, the hosts have adopted an overly confident attitude, seemingly underestimating their opponents and playing with a sense of superiority.
On the second morning, their batting performance reflected a level of confidence and precision that one would expect from a seasoned quantitative analyst. They approached their second inning with a commanding lead of 62 runs, as if the scorecard displayed a score of 421 for three rather than 221 for three. However, after exhibiting a lack of discipline on the first day and feeling inspired by Olly Stone’s aggressive bowling towards the end of their innings, Sri Lanka’s seamers significantly improved in their line and length. Vishwa managed to extract considerable movement from the Dukes ball.
Ollie Pope made a decision to change the approach on the second evening, opting for his seamers to bowl and target the stumps instead of relying on 17 overs of spin under floodlights, which resulted in a century partnership. With England’s temporary opener Dan Lawrence and a lower order that starts at five down, this collapse may have been a result of statistical probabilities.
The afternoon turned out to be quite chaotic after a productive morning session in which Josh Hull claimed three of the five Sri Lankan wickets for 52 runs. It seemed believable during the 45 minutes leading up to the delayed lunch, when Ben Duckett made a chip shot to mid-on, allowing Asitha Fernando to gain an advantage. Pope witnessed one of Kumara’s skilful late cuts that resulted in his first innings century being dismissed.
Vishwa, the left-armer, completely dominated the match after Lawrence’s quickfire 35, which seemed to seal their fate before he got out. Joe Root surpassed Kumar Sangakkara’s 12,400 Test runs and secured the sixth position in the all-time charts with a magnificent cover-driven four. Vishwa swiftly dismissed him with a powerful inswinger, seeking retribution for his fellow countryman and potentially jeopardising his chances of returning to Yorkshire.
A Vishwa mimic defeated Harry Brook to win the competition, which revealed the hosts’ discontent. Following the dismissals of Woakes and Atkinson, England’s scorecard showed a disappointing 82 for seven. It was only Smith who managed to prevent the team from recording its first sub-100 total in three years. Despite discussions about the inherent risk of Bazball, they have successfully overcome it.
Sri Lanka appeared to be at ease, effortlessly countering Stone as Smith began to make an impact. He achieved his most recent half-century in just 12 balls, off Milan Rathnayake’s lone over. He executed a precise shot that left the crowd in awe, ending the play with a perfect finish.
After Smith hit a shot to mid-wicket, Vishwa took his third wicket, and tea was called with the score at 140 for eight. Unfortunately, the last two wickets only added 16 more runs. Sri Lanka emerged victorious in their final match, despite the setback of losing wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal to a back injury. Following Dimuth Karunaratne’s dismissal when Woakes caught and bowled him, Nissanka and Kusal hit an impressive 13 fours during the run chase. Chandimal might not be necessary.