By: Tarish Bhatt
Amidst all the hype and some initial promise, eventually it turned out to be a game between men and boys, as England thumped Sri Lanka in the 1st Test.
The Lankan Lions showed early promise by bundling the hosts to 298 in the first innings, but a spineless batting performance made them surrender the match inside three days at Headingley.
It wasn’t just the inexperience in the batting department, but also some terrific bowling from the England seamers that sealed a win for the Three Lions.
James Anderson was the wrecker-in-chief in an by an innings and 88 runs win of England in Leeds. He finished with a 10-wicket haul in the match and ripped apart Sri Lanka almost single-handedly.
Anderson, who was in the league of his own, took five wickets each in both innings, while Stuart Broad and Steven Finn also backed him from the other end.
There was no fight whatsoever from the Lankans in any of the innings. They were bundled for a mere 91 in the first innings, while adding just 119 in the second.
Kusal Mendis was the top-scorer for Sri Lanka, and ended by making a fighting half-century, but that was the only resistance showed by the visitors.
Earlier, Jonny Bairstow scored a magnificent hundred for the hosts, and helped them post something competitive, which eventually turned into a winning total.
Bairstow, along with opener Alex Hales, steadied England innings, when at one point they were reeling at 83/5. Hales, meanwhile, missed a well-deserved century, and ended by making a fifty.
“The rain break today gave us a bit more time off and the way Jimmy (Anderson) and Stuart backed up, it was a pleasure to captain them,” Alastair Cook said.
“Jonny Bairstow was brilliant, an extraordinary innings, and I thought the way Alex batted was really disciplined and set the game up,” he added.
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