FIRST TEST RATINGS
BEN FOAKES
A century from the ruins of 103 for five, an immaculate performance with the gloves, including a sharp stumping to get rid of Dinesh Chandimal, then a selfless 34-ball 37, with three sixes. If Carlsberg did Test debuts . . .
KEATON JENNINGS
Made 192 runs in the match, and finally suggested his debut hundred in Mumbai two years ago was no one-off. His reverse-sweeping was superb, and the selectors deserve credit for sticking with him. He can clearly play spin. Next summer, he will have to prove he can do it against the quicks.
JACK LEACH
The accuracy of his left-arm spin gave Root control during Sri Lanka’s first innings, and the ball with which he bowled Chandimal in the second was the delivery of the match. A popular success story.
JOS BUTTLER
Scores of 38 and 35 told of his increasing maturity as a Test batsman, and he was a livewire in the field. A crucial cog in England’s wheel.
SAM CURRAN
Played his part in England’s firstinnings recovery, then showed his allround worth by swinging one into the pads of Kaushal Silva. Any temptation to leave him out of the next Test must be resisted: England did so against India last summer and then lost at Trent Bridge.
BEN STOKES
Came to life in the second half of the game. The 62 he made in England’s second innings was a mixture of common sense and destruction, and he deserved better than one wicket for his tireless barrage on the fourth day.
MOEEN ALI
Scores of nought and three underlined the suspicion that, at No 3, Ali is a fish out of water — he could drop as many as five places in Pallekele. But he has never bowled better in an overseas Test. Just don’t tell him he’s England’s No 1 spinner.
JIMMY ANDERSON
Struck with his second delivery, and looked dangerous as the ball began to reverse on the fourth day. But he dropped Angelo Mathews in Sri Lanka’s second innings, and — with the Ashes approaching — cannot afford to rack up many more disciplinary points.
ADIL RASHID
Made useful runs, and lured Chandimal to his doom with a beautifully ripped leg-break in the first innings. But if England drop a spinner for Pallekele to accommodate Jonny Bairstow, it may well be Rashid.
JOE ROOT
Fell twice to Herath, avoidably so in the first innings, when Root epitomised his side’s misplaced determination to score runs. Juggled his attack well and became the first England captain to win a Test in Galle.
RORY BURNS
Made a good-looking nine — if that’s possible — in his first Test innings before being strangled down the leg side. But his second-innings run-out was careless. A painful blow on the neck fielding at short leg was another reminder that Test cricket is a serious business.