ENGLAND TAKE CONTROL Third Test
ADIL RASHID and Ben Stokes may be cricket’s answer to Yin and Yang, but on a remarkable afternoon in Colombo they joined forces to blow away Sri Lanka and hasten Joe Root’s quest for a 3-0 series victory.
Replying to England’s 336 — a total which felt at least 75 below par — Sri Lanka had advanced to 173 for one as tea approached on the second day of the third Test. History was in danger of slipping through their fingers.
Root had dropped two catches off Stuart Broad, leading edges plopped to safety and Dimuth Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva were bedding in, just as Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara used to do as a matter of course at Colombo’s SSC.
It was the kind of day England had dreaded before the series began, a day that triggers cliches about dead rubbers and wake-up calls.
And then it all changed, as violently as the electric storm that had drenched the city on Friday night. An hour and a half after the break, Sri Lanka were all out for 240, having lost nine for just 67 in 18 overs.
Rashid had a career-best five for 49 plus a run-out and Stokes three for 30 from 10 overs of short-pitched aggression, in which he pinned Karunaratne in the ribs and Kusal Mendis on the hand. From nowhere, England had burgled a lead of 96, which they extended by three before bad light closed in with half an hour to go and the skies unburdened themselves once more.
Not since their tour of the Caribbean in the spring of 2004 have they won three successive Tests away from home. They have their chance now.
Sri Lanka’s collapse appeared to have a life of its own. Yet without some stunning fielding from Keaton Jennings at short leg, the hosts might still be batting.
He had already advertised his credentials for the job at Pallekele and set about proving that had been no fluke.
For the first 47 overs, all England had to show for their efforts was the wicket of Danushka Gunathilaka, caught by Jennings off Jack Leach as he moved to his right at short leg in anticipation and collected the ball via a touch off the batsman’s pad.
He was at it again just before tea. De Silva, on 73, worked Rashid off his pads and Jennings stuck out his left hand, as if swatting a fly.
And from the sixth ball after the break, he collected another offering at short backward square as Karunaratne, having played superbly for 83, tickled Rashid round the corner.
But the coup de grace was an instinctive grab at short leg to see off Roshen Silva.
By then, Stokes was deep into a tireless spell of bouncers and had got rid of Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka’s best batsman, toeending an attempted pull and caught by Ben Foakes.
Moments later, Foakes was wringing his left hand after an awkward take, prompting Jonny Bairstow to limber up in the outfield as he sensed an unexpected route back to the gloves.
But Foakes recovered and caught Niroshan Dickwella down the leg side. That made it 222 for six — and it was soon 222 for eight: Mendis poked Rashid to Stokes at slip and Dilruwan Perera flinched Stokes to Foakes.
When Rashid ran out Lakshan Sandakan, Sri Lanka had lost four for two.
Their collapse was complete 16 runs later when Rashid pinned Malinda Pushpakumara to surpass the five for 64 he had taken on debut against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi three years earlier.
The torrent of wickets after tea meant England could gloss over what had preceded it. They were the best Test figures by an England leg-spinner since Tommy Greenhough in 1959.
Resuming on 312 for seven, they lost their last three in a hurry. Moeen Ali followed a pair of dreamy cover-drives off Suranga Lakmal with a languid loft to long-off, Broad was bowled round his legs second ball to hand Sandakan a Test-best five for 95 and Leach had a slog.
From 235 for three on the first afternoon, 336 was an anti-climax.
England’s mood did not improve when Root dropped Karunaratne at off Broad when he was on two. When the captain repeated the trick, this time reprieving De Silva on 42, Broad did well to keep his cool.
It looked as if missed opportunities would be the story of the day. But England have spent the last three weeks tearing up the narrative — and they were not about to stop now.