Defiant Lankans react in savage response to thrash England by eight wickets.
Pathum Nissanka and unsung pace attack were the X factors.
BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE.
(eLanka Sports Editor)
Sri Lanka bounced back with a vengeance and thrashed England by eight wickets proving the unpredictability of this remarkable team when everything looked like doom and gloom.
Beaten comprehensively in the first two Tests, it seemed like a clean sweep was on the cards for a memorable summer for the English.
But in true fashion, the pride of the Lion emerged in the battle of the Lions, this time by the seemingly beaten and subdued Lankans whose savage response to a seemingly hopeless situation was commendable.
This type of Sri Lankan performance personifies the team of glorious uncertainties although it has created huge division among their cricket mad fans.
England had earlier recorded a one sided 3- 0 clean sweep against West Indies and leading the Lankans 2-0 albeit with a closer contest suggested another sweep and a great build-up for the more important assignments ahead, including the Ashes against Australia.
But Sri Lanka’s shock response in the dead rubber exposed a vulnerability in the English that could be concerning.
From a Sri Lankan perspective it was finally getting the game plan right for the conditions and the wicket, picking horses for courses which paid off.
A four prong pace attack rather than spin dependent as has been the norm, threw a spanner in the works of English planning.
Sri Lanka’s plans in Manchester and Lords was awry. But at the Oval, was spot on.
Joe Root feasted on spin which had been the norm and appeared set for a player- of- the -series award until Sri Lanka’s master plan upset all calculations. He failed in the third Test.
Using past experience and memories from 1998, the plan to leave out a specialist spinner and bringing in an extra paceman turned up trumps as Sri Lanka reduced England to 156 all out after they had earlier set the stage with a 62- run first innings lead.
Pathum Nissanka then launched a memorable onslaught on the England attack to romp to the target in 40.3 overs leaving the home team in shock and shambles.
The seaming track as expected, saw both teams prosper with their pace attacks. This time though, Sri Lanka handled the conditions better.
The trend was set on day two after England who were 221 for 3 slumped to 325 all out.
Only skipper Ollie Pope 154 off 156 deliveries, and Ben Duckett 86 found the deceptive Sri Lanka pace attack easy to handle. The rest floundered as they lost 7 for 103.
Sri Lanka in reply were in deep trouble with half the team out for less than 100. Pathum Nissanka 64, Skipper Dhananjaya de Silva, 69 and Kamindu Mendis, 64, came to the rescue as the mustered 263 all out.
Then came the dramatic Sri Lanka pace blitz which destroyed a once potent England batting line-up to 156 all out. Only a defiant Dan Lawrence 35 from 35 balls from Jamie Smith 67 from 50 balls saved the Englishmen from further blushes.
Avishka Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Milan Rathnayake and Lahiru Kumara combined to complete the England rout.
Sri Lanka chased down the required target in express fashion led by another Pathum Nissanka explosion at the top with Kusal Mendis and Angelo Matthews completing a memorable victory. Nissanka followed his first innings 64 with another blistering 127 not out off 124 balls with 2 sixers and 13 fours. He has now established himself as an all format player for the Lankans.
Sri Lanka return home with some satisfaction knowing that recent performances in the Asia Cup and a reasonable return in England could indicate a welcome change in their fortunes.
The road ahead certainly seems brighter.
