On Friday, Gus Atkinson outstanding first century placed England in control of the second Test at Lord’s. Still, Sri Lanka collapsed to 196 on day two, giving up a significant lead.
As the final man out, Kamindu Mendis (74) offered the only genuine opposition, trying to slog Atkinson but only spooning a straightforward catch to Chris Woakes.
Choosing not to pursue the follow-on, England ended up with a 25-1 advantage, leading by 256 runs. The only wicket to lose was Dan Lawrence (7), who was caught behind by keeper Nishan Madushka off Lahiru Kumara.
Atkinson told the BBC, “After day two, we’re well ahead of the game with loads of time left.” We can push to a big lead tomorrow and bowl them out again.
After tea, Prabath Jayasuriya (8) raced past a ball from Shoaib Bashir that spun sharply and struck the leg stump, causing Sri Lanka to lose their final three wickets.
Ollie Pope then struck Kumara (0) straight in an attempt to run a single from the non-striker’s end, giving Mendis the strike but preventing him from adding to his total.
The damage was done when Sri Lanka lost five wickets in the afternoon session, including the experienced duo of Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, in quick succession.
In his first Test since 2021, Olly Stone took his second wicket when Pathum Nissanka (12) shot Matthew Potts at leg slip, capping an over he began before lunch.
With a 48-run stand, Mathews and Chandimal attempted to rally, but Potts’ double-wicket maiden put England ahead.
The score for Sri Lanka dropped to 83-5 after Mathews (22) played around a straight one, and captain Dhananjaya de Silva was caught by Harry Brook at second slip for a three-ball duck.
Then, with Sri Lanka down to 87-6, Chandimal (23) nicked one from Atkinson to Dan Lawrence at leg slip.
Mendis was left to bat with the tail after Milan Rathnayake (19) briefly counterattacked and nicked Woakes to keeper Jamie Smith.
Before lunch, Sri Lanka had lost both of their openers. Madushka (7) had chopped a wide delivery from Woakes onto his stumps, and Stone had done the same to remove Dimuth Karunaratne (7).
After England had resumed on 358-7, Atkinson started the day with a pair of boundaries, hitting the next through cover and clipping Kumara’s first delivery to fine leg.
After a dramatic opening over, the 26-year-old was ruled out leg before wicket on the third delivery. Still, a review resulted in a reprieve because the ball was moving down the leg side.
Unlike Joe Root on the opening day, Atkinson needs three balls to reach three digits with a straight drive to the fence. He advanced to 99 with another elegant cover drive for four.
Sri Lanka allowed 35 runs off the first five overs before the entrance of Asitha Fernando, who had Potts (21) caught behind by keeper Madushka.
Rathnayake beautifully caught Atkinson on the midwicket boundary for 118 off 115 balls after he attempted to hit Fernando into the stands.
Stone (15) was the final player out of Fernando (5-102), and England finished with 427 points after adding 69 more overnight.
Last week at Old Trafford, England won the first Test by a margin of five wickets. To have a chance of winning the three-match series, Sri Lanka needs to win at Lord’s.
Mendis stated that despite the small odds, he believed Sri Lanka may make an unexpected comeback.
“I think if we can keep them under 150, 175 (we have) a chance to win the game,” he told reporters.
Because of its unpredictable nature, cricket frequently produces unexpected twists that can quickly alter the course of a match. One such show was the 2nd Test match between England and Sri Lanka, in which English batter Atkinson scored a brilliant century, and the Sri Lankan batting order collapsed spectacularly. Fans were reminded of why Test cricket is still the most cherished format of the game by this match, which captured both the sport’s beauty and agony.
The Lead-Up to the Second Exam
The Form and Preparation of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka went into the second Test full of optimism. In the first Test, they displayed flashes of brilliance, but they could not complete the victory. They concentrated on strengthening their vulnerabilities and honing their tactics because they were a young team keen to establish themselves globally. The crowd had a tangible sense of excitement because many thought this game would be pivotal for the Sri Lankan team.
The Confidence Boost in England
However, following a solid showing in the opening Test, England were brimming with confidence. The squad had a good balance, with seasoned players and up-and-coming talent adding to their accomplishments. The optimism in the English camp was palpable, mainly due to their batter’s seeming readiness to take on any task.
Atkinson ‘s Century-Defining Match
A Master Class in Accuracy and Patience
In the second Test, Atkinson’s century was nothing short of a masterclass. He entered the game at a critical moment. He used a combination of accuracy and patience to confound the Sri Lankan bowlers. As he slowly extended his innings, he demonstrated his ability to read the game and adjust to the circumstances, giving England a robust development platform.
English Turning the Tide
Atkinson’s century marked a turning point in English history and a personal achievement. His innings gave the squad the solidity they needed as wickets fell at the other end. In addition to adding significant runs to the scoreboard, his partnerships with the lower-order batters discouraged the Sri Lankan bowlers, who found it difficult to get past him.
The Batting Collapse of Sri Lanka
Initial Wickets and Fear in the Rows
The way Sri Lanka answered England’s total was far from perfect. They were placed on the back foot with early wickets, and the pressure soon intensified. When it mattered most, the top order, which had shown promise in earlier innings, fell short. The English pacers, who expertly took advantage of the conditions, combined tight bowling with a poor shot selection to result in several dismissals.
Middle-Order Problems Persist
Under pressure, the middle order, which was supposed to stabilize the ship, gave way. The batters’ inexperience was apparent, as they found dealing with the English bowlers’ unrelenting accuracy challenging. The dismissals were a recurrence of past errors, as batters made careless shots and lost wickets at critical junctures.
The Bowling Brilliance of England
Even though Sri Lanka’s collapse was disheartening, the English bowlers deserve praise for their outstanding performance. They were disciplined, kept to their strategies, and never let up on the Sri Lankan batters. To keep the batters guessing, the seamers, in particular, were unrelenting in their pursuit of every movement off the ground.
The Fallout from the Failure
Sri Lanka’s Fall Short
The fall caused chaos in the Sri Lankan camp. Their batters failed to put up much of a fight, and what was supposed to be a competitive encounter turned into a one-sided affair. The players debated what went wrong and where they could have improved amid a dejected atmosphere in the dressing room.
The Dominance of England
For England, the outcome was evidence of their planning and performance. They had a plan going into the contest and carried it out flawlessly. Their victory gave them self-assurance and made a powerful statement to other teams about their superiority in Test cricket.
In summary
Atkinson’s outstanding century and Sri Lanka’s stunning collapse will be remembered from the second Test match between Sri Lanka and England. The encounter served as a stark reminder of how unpredictable Test cricket can be, with results often shifting in a matter of hours. While England saw it as a confirmation of their team’s quality and depth, Sri Lanka saw it as a harsh lesson in the realities of playing cricket internationally.
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