5 Asian legends who lost their final Test match

A player's retirement is always a huge loss for cricket, the team as well as the fans. The case is true not only for cricket but all sports. More importantly, the loss of a legendary stalwart is always tough as his team takes a lot of time to recover.

Sri Lanka, once a formidable team, fumbled after the retirements of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan.

For a great player, retiring with a defeat makes the occasion even sadder. The recent retirement of Rangana Herath is one such example. Not only Sri Lankan fans, but everyone wanted the iconic spinner to retire with a win. However, England spoiled his final party at Galle.

In reverse chronological order of their retirements, here are some of the greatest Asian players who ended their respective Test careers with a defeat.

#5 Rangana Herath

The legendary Sri Lankan bowler retired at an age of 40 after the recently concluded first Test against England at Galle. Unfortunately for him, Sri Lanka lost his last match by 211 runs.

Having taken three wickets in his final game, Herath ended his glittering career with 433 wickets at an average of 28.30. The left-arm spinner ended his Test career with another milestone as he became only the third bowler to take 100 wickets at a single venue (Galle).

In 2016, Herath led Sri Lanka's Test team after Angelo Mathews pulled out of the team due to an injury. Out of five matches he played as a captain, he won three and lost two. He is one of the few players who made their debut and retired at the same venue.

Replacing the great man will be a very challenging task for sure. Therefore, it will be interesting to see how Sri Lanka cope with his retirement.