3rd Test
Day-2 Morning Session Highlights:
Sri Lanka has staged a dramatic fightback thanks to their enhanced bowling performance
At The Lunch of Day-2:
England scored 325 (1st Innings), where as Sri Lanka scored 1/0 (1st Innings).
So, finally England lead by 324 runs.
After a punishing first day, Sri Lanka’s bowlers made a remarkable comeback with a significantly improved performance on the second morning of the final Test against England at The Oval.
Despite Ollie Pope surpassing 150 runs—an impressive feat as the quickest to achieve this milestone at this venue—the home side struggled to capitalize on the strong start provided by their captain and Ben Duckett.
On the second day, the notable increase in swing generated by Sri Lanka’s pacers was evident, with swing figures more than double those from the first day.
The pitch had also quickened slightly, and the seamers showed greater accuracy.
However, the initial hour of play seemed like a repeat of the previous day, as luck continued to evade the Lankan pacers.
Both Pope and Harry Brook survived close calls, overturning initial decisions with DRS, and several edges fell short.
Sri Lanka’s fortunes changed in the second hour when Brook mistimed a shot to extra cover, opening the floodgates.
This breakthrough was crucial for the visitors as they maintained pressure with precise bowling.
Jamie Smith, struggling to find his rhythm, eventually succumbed to the pressure and was dismissed after a series of dry overs.
His wicket sparked a swift collapse, starting in an unexpected manner when Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva brought himself on to bowl.
Although spin seemed an unlikely choice given the conditions, de Silva’s tactic proved effective as he removed Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson, while Vishwa Fernando dismissed Pope.
This ensured England would not mount a lower-order resistance as in previous Tests.
Asitha Fernando and Milan Rathnayake wrapped up the innings, taking the final two wickets and dismissing England for 325.
Despite this competitive total, Sri Lanka has given themselves a chance to mount a strong challenge in the game.
The Lankan openers navigated the single over bowled before lunch, ending a morning that undoubtedly belonged to de Silva’s team.
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