The Sri Lanka team overpowered the English side in the Oval Test winning the game by 8 wickets. It was Pathum Nissanka who just not cemented his place as Lanka’s top-order batter but also scripted a unbeaten century of 127 runs in the second innings when his side was given to gun down a total of 219.
Besides Nissanka, Mathews remained unbeaten on 32 while Kusal Mendis scored 39 runs in the chase. The visitors did not only denied home side a white-wash but also kept their win record at oval – intact.
Taking this whole game into account, England’s former cricketer Michale Vaughan was unhappy and upset with the English’s team approach in the Oval Test. While writing his column in “The Telegraph” he said that the English team has disrespected the Test cricket
“I felt that they disrespected Test cricket, and disrespected Sri Lanka in the third Test by being over-aggressive with both the bat and in their field placings. England have made a habit of becoming a bit complacent after a good period – I think of the start of the Ashes, or earlier this year in Rajkot – and I hope it serves as a wake-up call for the tougher Tests that lie in wait in 2025. There is no way they will get away with playing like this against India or Australia, ” Vaughan wrote.
He added: “For me, the intensity and concentration in the big moments were missing this week. It was all a bit flimsy, cocky even. They took the mickey out of the game. The answer in Test cricket’s hottest moments cannot always be attack, attack, attack.”
“England are looking increasingly well placed to consistently take 20 wickets per Test in overseas conditions, but their batting line-up continues to lack a ruthlessness to make the most of dominant positions.”
Vaughan not only criticised the approach he also said the field set was “over-aggressive too”
“I felt England’s bowling was fine this week, but I thought the over-aggressive fields they went for did the bowlers a disservice and put them on the back foot immediately. They went out with an idea to be super-aggressive, but this wasn’t the match or pitch for that,” Vaughan stated.
“This was a top-of-off pitch, two or three slips and a gully, with extra cover in. They had six slips, short leg, leg slip. It was almost as if they had 650 on the board, but they had half of that.
“To make matters worse, The Oval has a rapid outfield, and the new ball has not been doing as much lately. You are almost sitting in, waiting for the lacquer to come off and then it swings round corners after 15 or 20 overs. The fields meant that Sri Lanka got off to a flying start, which bowlers hate. It means they lose confidence and start chasing. It just did not look right and was too easy for Sri Lanka. “
England will now travel to Pakistan to play a three-match Test series and for this Ben Stokes will be leading the side while Zak Crawley and Jack Leach have also been added to the squad.
England Test squad to tour Pakistan: Ben Stokes (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes
