England registered an impressive five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first Test in Manchester on Saturday. In-form Joe Root scored a match-winning fifty to help the Three Lions chase down a 205-run target with five wickets remaining on Day 4 at Old Trafford.
Kamindu Mendis registered a brilliant century to help Sri Lanka post a 326 total in their second innings. Sri Lankan bowlers started with three big wickets but Joe Root pulled off two crucial partnerships with Harry Brook and Jamie Smith to avoid the play going to the Day 5.
Earlier on Day 4, the Sri Lankan side seemed destined for a huge total after Kamindu and wicketkeeper batter Dinesh Chandimal added 117 runs for the seventh wicket. Chandimal added crucial 79 runs off just 119 balls and Kamindu top-scored with 113 runs off 183 balls to put Sri Lanka ahead in the game.
Gus Atkinson gave the hosts the opening they needed with Kamindu's wicket and then Matthew Potts removed Chandimal and Prabath Jayasuriya to end Sri Lanka's second innings to 326 in 89.3 overs. Rain interrupted the game just before the tea but fans enjoyed clear clouds in the last session as England eased through a hard-fought win.
A win also helped Ollie Pope-led England boost their position in the ICC World Test Championship 2025 table. England surpassed Pakistan to reach the fourth position in a major boost to their slim hopes to make the final. Sri Lanka slipped to the fifth position after their third loss in five matches in the 2023-25 cycle.
England Playing XI: Daniel Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.
Sri Lanka Playing XI: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Milan Priyanath Rathnayake.
