Humble Herath puts it down to helpful pitch

ABU DHABI/ NEW DELHI: Rangana Herath displayed his class and picked up yet another 10-wicket haul as Sri Lanka secured a 21-run win over Pakistan in the first Test. The 39-year-old leftarm spinner changed the course of the match with a haul of 6/43 in the second innings as Pakistan were bowled out for 114.

After the end of the match, Herath was asked as to why he always performed well against Pakistan. The veteran responded, “I have no idea. Maybe I have played more against them, that’s why. “

Herath had taken 23 wickets against Pakistan in 2014 — a world record in a two-match series.” “I’m so happy with the remarkable achievement of 400 wickets,” said Herath. “All credit should go to the people behind me, from my parents to the team and the supporting staff.”

Herath admitted there was help from the pitch on which 16 wickets fell on the last day. “There was some assistance from the surface. There was something for the spinners so I got this success,” he said. He is the second Sri Lankan to take 400 or more wickets behind Muttiah Muralitharan who is the highest wicket taker in all Test cricket with 800.

Dinesh Chandimal, who slammed an unbeaten 155 in the first innings, said Niroshan Dickwella was unbelievable in the second innings. “He got us to (almost) 140. We knew once we got that much, we have our legend (Herath) here,” he said.