21/01Result
2nd Test, England tour of Sri Lanka at Galle, Jan 22-25 2021
England won by 6 wkts
Player of the Match
Joe Root
Joe RootEngland
21/01Result
2nd Test, England tour of Sri Lanka at Galle, Jan 22-25 2021
England won by 6 wkts
Player of the Match
Joe Root
Joe RootEngland

1.44pm Well, what on earth to make of that then? Another abject batting display from Sri Lanka, to book-end a curious quartet of performances. But credit where it is due to both England's spinners, notably Jack Leach and Dom Bess who bounced back from a tough first innings, and to Lasith Embuldeniya, who alone found the calculated aggression required to thrive on a wearing surface. England need 164 to win, and it's going to be a thriller if their previous second-innings wobble is anything to go by. Over to Alan Gardner for the opening exchanges.

35.5
W
Root to AM Fernando, OUT, bowled him first ball! Root takes two in two ... all ten wickets to spin in the second innings... tossed right up to the popping crease, drifting away too, but Asitha's uncertain stab scuttles off the under-edge, and into the stumps. England have given themselves a chance of a 2-0 clean sweep, but it's going to be dicey!

AM Fernando b Root 0 (2m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Subham Nagar: "4 Years ago at this very ground, India were dismissed for 112 runs, chasing just 176. Herath did it for Sri Lanka. Can the home team repeat the magic?" Six years in fact, but yes, and a left-arm spinner did the damage too...

35.4
W
Root to Embuldeniya, OUT, there's the breakthrough! Much fuller from Root, Embuldeniya is startled by the more incisive length, and offers an open-faced poke, almost on the half volley, straight into Bairstow's hands at slip! The end of a tremendous and invaluable innings. He's given himself the rope with which to hang England's run-chase!

L Embuldeniya c Bairstow b Root 40 (37m 42b 6x4 1x6) SR: 95.23

35.3
0
Root to Embuldeniya, no run, boshed very firmly, on the front foot out to wide long-off
35.2
0
Root to Embuldeniya, no run, lower arm, flatter trajectory, poked to cover and a bit of indecision in the running
35.1
0
Root to Embuldeniya, no run, round the wicket, Embuldeniya strides to the pitch and under-edges on the full into the crease

END OF OVER:
35 | 6 Runs | SL: 126/8

  • Suranga Lakmal11 (32b)
  • Lasith Embuldeniya40 (38b)
  • Dom Bess16-1-49-4
  • Joe Root1-1-0-0
34.6
0
Bess to Lakmal, no run, flogged square, in the air for a moment, but just short of point! This match is pivoting once more...
34.5
4
Bess to Lakmal, FOUR, Lakmal gallops to the pitch, probably figuring he didn't want to let another one bounce, and that's a very fine in-to-out bludgeon through long-off!
34.4
0
Bess to Lakmal, no run, huge bite from outside off! Big appeal but that's clearly done too much. A sign of danger to come for England though...

Yuvraj Jaiswal: "Root is now thinking why isn't he at slip?" To be fair, he's missed three chances already in this innings

34.3
0
Bess to Lakmal, no run, solid crease-bound prod as Bess probes on a full length
34.2
1
Bess to Embuldeniya, 1 run, round the wicket to the left-hander, patted out to cover with an angled bat, head over the ball
34.1
1
Bess to Lakmal, 1 run, over the wicket, flicked down the ground, another single to the cause

END OF OVER:
34 | (maiden) | SL: 120/8

  • Lasith Embuldeniya39 (37b)
  • Suranga Lakmal6 (27b)
  • Joe Root1-1-0-0
  • Dom Bess15-1-43-4

Tawhid Rehan : "Any score over 180 Would be the Big Mountain To Climb for England!! " And I bet they know it too...

33.6
0
Root to Embuldeniya, no run, solid on the back foot, right in behind the line
33.5
0
Root to Embuldeniya, no run, hurried on the back foot as Root gets a hint of turn with his more urgent style of offspin
33.4
0
Root to Embuldeniya, no run, poked into the covers, leaning out of the crease
33.3
0
Root to Embuldeniya, no run, solidly forward, on the front foot
33.2
0
Root to Embuldeniya, no run, a fierce swing, and dropped by Bairstow at slip! A fat flying edge, he did well to react, high to his left, but can't wrap his hand around it

Match Coverage

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England 4th innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st17DP SibleyZ Crawley
2nd45JM BairstowDP Sibley
3rd22JE RootDP Sibley
4th5DP SibleyDW Lawrence
5th75JC ButtlerDP Sibley