The first Test of the new ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh ended in a draw at Galle. Despite some quality performances on both sides, neither team could force a result on a flat track that offered little assistance to bowlers for the most part.
Match Summary
Sri Lanka: 485 & 72/4
Result: Match Drawn
Player of the Match: Najmul Hossain Shanto
Highlights of the Test
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Najmul Hossain Shanto was named Player of the Match for his outstanding batting performance, leading Bangladesh’s charge with composure and class.
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The Galle pitch remained largely docile, but Bangladesh’s spinners outbowled their Sri Lankan counterparts, with Nayeem Hasan claiming a superb five-wicket haul, extracting sharp turn, dip, and bounce.
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For Sri Lanka, opener Pathum Nissanka registered his maiden Test century on home soil, while Kamindu Mendis impressed once again with the bat.
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Debutant Udara Jayasundara played some elegant strokes before being dismissed by Taijul Islam in both innings.
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Another debutant, Tharindu, bowled ambidextrously, picking up six wickets across both innings, though slightly expensive.
Farewell to Angelo Mathews
This Test also marked an emotional chapter in Sri Lankan cricket history, as veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews bid farewell to Test cricket. Having made his debut in Galle, playing his 100th Test at the same venue, Mathews retires as Sri Lanka’s third-highest run-scorer in Test history.
In his heartfelt retirement note, Mathews wrote:
“A chapter ends but the love for the game will always remain.”
While it wasn’t the fairytale ending he might have hoped for, his remarkable career will remain a proud part of Sri Lankan cricket folklore.
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