Victory salute of the history boys
The last time that england whitewashed any team away from home in a threematch series, The Beatles were preparing to release their first album.
And the only other time they have done it was three years before the Boer War.
Now england can add a totally unexpected, thrillingly achieved 3-0 win in Sri Lanka to triumphs against New Zealand in 1963 and South Africa as far back as 1896 after a nail-biting final day of what became an historic tour.
england needed to keep their heads to complete a brilliant 42-run third Test victory within four days at the SSC. And they held their nerve as Sri Lanka threatened to pull off one of the most unlikely run chases in history.
It showed how far england have come this year since captain Joe Root started 2018 battered, beaten and too ill even to face the media in Sydney at the end of another chastening away Ashes thrashing.
Sri Lanka just do not lose home series as convincingly as this. Their great players may have gone but they were good enough to thrash South Africa here in July.
And Australia two years ago. And they were good enough to become the first team to defeat Pakistan in similar conditions in the United Arab emirates.
What Root and his team have done was almost unthinkable when they arrived and warmed up with three meaningless days of match practice.
Remember, too, that england followed that 4-0 Ashes defeat by crashing to the depths of 27 for nine against New Zealand in Auckland at the start of a series they ended by recording their 13th away Test without a victory.
Trevor Bayliss was under real pressure as Test coach and the murmurings about Root’s captaincy were growing louder when england followed their miserable winter by losing to Pakistan at Lord’s in May.
What has followed has been remarkable, england winning eight of the nine Tests and moving to No 2 in the world rankings with a fearless brand of cricket, daring to be different on the subcontinent.
‘I’ve felt from the India series last summer that I was growing into the role and doing things differently, probably radically so in some people’s views,’ said Root.
‘Seeing people buying into what we’ve been trying to achieve has filled me with a huge confidence. hopefully, this is the start of the Test team really growing.’
how close Sri Lanka came, though, to ruining england’s party yesterday. When Kusal Mendis and Roshen Silva were adding 102 for the sixth wicket, the home side’s record-breaking SSC target of 327 did not seem so far away.
Then, when england had seen the back of both and were closing in on victory, the unlikely figures of Malinda Pushpakumara and Suranga Lakmal embarked on a last-wicket stand that could have gone down in cricketing folklore.
Twice england needed some inspiration when Sri Lanka looked like creating their own piece of history. Both times, up popped a figure who has became an unlikely symbol of all that has been good about england’s tour.
Jack Leach was known before this series more for the bad luck that has befallen him, from question marks over the legality of his action to ill-timed injuries just when he had been earmarked for a regular run in the side.
Now, after taking five wickets on the last day of the second Test, he became even more influential here — first by pulling off the run-out of Mendis and then trapping Lakmal to end that last-wicket stand of 58 with his 18th wicket of the series third ball after tea. Leach’s view of the spectacular Mendis run-out with a direct hit from 50 yards at deep square leg summed up this likeable throwback character.
‘My towel at the back of my trousers wasn’t tucked in properly, so, just before the ball came to me, I quickly threw it to the boundary,’ said Leach. ‘Suddenly, they started running two and I thought: “Oh no, I’ve conceded an extra run here”.
‘Then I just launched it at the stumps and thought: “That looks like it might hit”. It did, so I was a bit lucky but absolutely delighted — the best moment of my career.’
how he deserves everything that comes his way.
england are not the finished article. Root’s run of eight winning tosses has certainly helped — he insists it is only three because Virat Kohli called five times last summer — and question marks remain about their top order.
Keaton Jennings hit a century in Galle and made a stunning success of fielding at short leg but his 41 runs in his last four innings proved he has not nailed down an opening slot yet. Nor really has Rory Burns, who never managed a truly significant score.
Then there is Jonny Bairstow, man of the match here for his century at No 3 but still a player who would much prefer batting at seven and grabbing the gloves back from the outstanding Ben Foakes.
england will not pick their squad for the West Indies in January until the cricket disciplinary commission verdict on Ben Stokes on December 7 but so long as he is available, it is likely there will be little or no change to this group.
Only the possible inclusion of Jason Roy for Joe Denly, the one ed Smith-inspired selection that has not worked, might interest selectors who can be delighted with the bold, positive progress.
Root’s Test team are now hot on the heels of eoin Morgan’s white-ball sides in terms of achievement and they have done it by emulating the same fearless approach. That can only be exciting for the future of english cricket.