Sri Lanka defeated England by eight wickets in the third Test at The Oval on Monday thanks to a magnificent century from Pathum Nissanka.
With Nissanka scoring 127 runs without conceding a wicket and Angelo Mathews scoring 32 runs without conceding a wicket in an uninterrupted 111-run partnership, Sri Lanka managed to complete their goal of 219 before lunch on the fourth day.
After winning at Headingley by 100 runs in 2014, Sri Lanka’s victory was only their fourth Test victory in England. However, England won both games at Lord’s (190 runs) and Old Trafford (five wickets), taking the three-match series 2-1.
Resuming on 94-1, Sri Lanka was already in a strong position to break England’s string of seven consecutive Test losses.
Nissanka, returned at Lord’s, was 53 not out, his second fifty of the match after a 64 in the first innings, while Kusal Mendis remained unbeaten on 30.
Mendis, on the other hand, had only added nine runs to his total when he hooked a Gus Atkinson bouncer to fine leg, where Shoaib Bashir, did well seeing the ball on a cloudy morning, made a wonderful low catch diving to his left.
Sri Lanka were now 108-2 when Mathews, who had scored a stunning 160 in their Headingley victory a decade earlier, came in to bat.
England skipper Ollie Pope sent on off-spinner Bashir as Sri Lanka made strong headway against the quicks at 137-2.
Sri Lankan fans celebrated this amazing victory. Sri Lanka also defeated strong Indian team last month in white ball series.
