NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka secured a rare Test victory in England on Monday, reaching their target of 219 with ease on the fourth day at The Oval.
Pathum Nissanka led the charge with an unbeaten 127, guiding Sri Lanka to a consolation win in the 2-1 series defeat.
Sri Lanka resumed play on Monday at 94 for 1, needing 125 more runs to win. They achieved this in just over two hours, finishing with 219 for 2 to win by eight wickets.This marked their fourth victory in 21 Tests in England over 40 years and their first since a 1-0 victory in a two-test series a decade ago.
On Sunday evening, Sri Lanka’s aggressive play had positioned them as favorites, but the few England fans present at The Oval remained hopeful that early wickets could change the game.
Kusal Mendis, who had ended Sunday on 30, added nine more runs before a spectacular running catch by Shoaib Bashir gave Gus Atkinson a wicket. This, however, was England’s only bright moment on an overcast day in South London.
Nissanka, who had quickly reached 53 not out during Sunday’s final session, adopted a more controlled approach initially but kept the scoreboard moving. He reached his second Test century off 107 balls.
He then began hitting larger shots and, with Angelo Mathews at the other end looking steady at 32 not out, Sri Lanka cruised to their target without needing the entire first session.
England had hoped for a perfect 6-0 summer record after a 3-0 sweep against the West Indies and two convincing wins over Sri Lanka.
They seemed well-positioned for a third victory after reaching 261-3 in their first innings, but a collapse to 325 opened the door for Sri Lanka.
The Lankans appeared to be struggling after scoring only 263 in their first innings, but they made a strong comeback by bowling England out for 156 in 34 overs on Sunday. Their determined chase followed.
England will now focus on white ball cricket against Australia, starting with a T20 match on Wednesday.
Pathum Nissanka led the charge with an unbeaten 127, guiding Sri Lanka to a consolation win in the 2-1 series defeat.
Sri Lanka resumed play on Monday at 94 for 1, needing 125 more runs to win. They achieved this in just over two hours, finishing with 219 for 2 to win by eight wickets.This marked their fourth victory in 21 Tests in England over 40 years and their first since a 1-0 victory in a two-test series a decade ago.
On Sunday evening, Sri Lanka’s aggressive play had positioned them as favorites, but the few England fans present at The Oval remained hopeful that early wickets could change the game.
Kusal Mendis, who had ended Sunday on 30, added nine more runs before a spectacular running catch by Shoaib Bashir gave Gus Atkinson a wicket. This, however, was England’s only bright moment on an overcast day in South London.
Nissanka, who had quickly reached 53 not out during Sunday’s final session, adopted a more controlled approach initially but kept the scoreboard moving. He reached his second Test century off 107 balls.
He then began hitting larger shots and, with Angelo Mathews at the other end looking steady at 32 not out, Sri Lanka cruised to their target without needing the entire first session.
England had hoped for a perfect 6-0 summer record after a 3-0 sweep against the West Indies and two convincing wins over Sri Lanka.
They seemed well-positioned for a third victory after reaching 261-3 in their first innings, but a collapse to 325 opened the door for Sri Lanka.
The Lankans appeared to be struggling after scoring only 263 in their first innings, but they made a strong comeback by bowling England out for 156 in 34 overs on Sunday. Their determined chase followed.
England will now focus on white ball cricket against Australia, starting with a T20 match on Wednesday.
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