Report, Day 3: Captain Joe Root hit 186 runs to bring England closer to Sri Lanka’s first innings as they finished day three with 339 for nine, just 42 runs behind them on Sunday.
Roots epic innings ended on the final day when he ran out of 14 from two more double hundred. Sri Lanka’s bowlers had no answer for the Yorkshireman and it seemed inevitable that he would only be released through a spout.
Root tried to get Dilruwan Perera into the middle of the wicket, but the thick edge was on by Oshada Fernando short leg grabbed on ricochet. Root had stepped out of the crease and saw an opportunity. Fernando tossed the stumps down as a tired root’s diving efforts could not save him.
Left-wing spinner Lasith Embuldeniya ended on a seven-wicket train, but the day belonged to the English captain who worked for more than eight hours showed a great display of character and determination in hitting. He had posted a double hundred in the first Test, which England won by seven wickets.
Not since the heroics of West Indian Brian Lara in Galle in 2001, when he scored 688 runs in six innings, had a batsman had such skillful spin Played bowler. Root now has 415 runs in three innings.
The sweep shot was Roots bread and butter and he executed it perfectly and often found gaps, even though Sri Lana had three outfielders on the side of the leg.
The 30- Year old reached his 19th Test hundred in the morning and passed the run numbers of three former English greats during his knock – David Gower 8,231, Kevin Pietersen 8,181 and Geoffrey Boycott 8,114.
Root, who is playing in his 99th test match, now has 8,238 Test runs and is fourth among the English batsmen.
Aside from Embuldeniya, the rest of Sri Lanka’s bowling failed to impress, and off-spinner Dilruwan Perera failed to pick up a wicket despite the 38-year-old bowling 32 overs. </ England returned from the night standings of 98 for two and lost Jonny Bairstow (28) and Daniel Lawrence (3) early. Jos Buttler, 55, added 97 runs for the fifth wicket with Root.
An 81 run stand for the seventh wicket between Dominic Bess, 32 and Root brought England’s total to 333 for six. But Sri Lanka struck back and took three wickets for six runs late in the day to cut the tourists down to 339 for nine.
“Pretty amazing innings to secure his double hundred in the first Test. Today’s tapping was a master class that struck against spin. It was a great training for us to see him walking around and we really enjoyed watching him play. Sad way to get out that way in the end, « he said.
» It’s been a very busy day but that’s part of the game. Just tired of rolling to a good line and the wicket did the rest. It’s a challenge as the wicket is slow and the batsmen have a tendency to get on the back foot and play shots, all I can do is roll to a good line and length and that’s what I’ve tried « He said.
» The wicket is now spinning compared to the first two days. If we can take the last wicket early and if we get a little over 150 we are in the game as it would be difficult to get on hit last day here. «
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Roots 228 had given England a hefty 421 total and a significant 286 lead in the first innings, but Thirimanne stuck two sessions to go undefeated with 76 of 189 balls, bringing Sri Lanka to 156-2 on stumps.
Sri Lanka’s Lasith Embuldeniya claimed seven wickets, breaking an important seventh wicket stand of 81 between Root and Dom Bess, who fell on the spinner with his left arm for 32.
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Ref: https://www.firstpost.com
