Winning moments: Sri Lanka beat rain and Pakistan to win thriller at Galle
On Sunday, Sri Lanka didn’t just beat Pakistan in a Test match, they fought against time and nature, and won the race by the slightest of margins!
The first Test at Galle was meekly heading towards a draw at the start of the final day, with Pakistan having lost just a single wicket in their second innings, trailing by 114 runs at the end of Day 4.
But Rangana Herath, the workhorse of Sri Lankan cricket, the bowler who has bowled most balls and taken most wickets in Test cricket this year, found life in the pitch where batsmen had amassed 974 runs in the first two innings of the match. Sarfaraz Ahmed fought back with a half-century, but Pakistan collapsed to 180 in the final session.
Set 99 to win, Sri Lanka had more than 20 overs to chase the target, but their main concern was weather, with rain threatening to bring close to play any moment.
Jayawardene showed glimpses of magic, Sangakkara flayed his arms around, but when the duo fell, Sri Lanka still required 26 with overs fast depleting and weather looking threatening.
Enter their captain Angelo Mathews, the man who had fought on and turned their fortunes in England.
24 runs needed off 6 overs
The 16th over of the match by Junaid Khan changed everything. Mathews hit a six, while Kithuruwan Vithange, the left-handed batsman, hit a four and a six. 17 runs were leaked off that over. Sri Lanka were racing on.
Next over, Mathews carted the first one over the ropes for a brutal six. The scores were tied, umpires checked for light, it could rain any moment and match would have ended in a draw.
But Mathews ran the next suicidal single as the fielder missed a direct throw. Arms aloft Sri Lankans celebrated victory. Merely seconds later, a la Lagaan, the heavens opened up. It started pouring heavily in Galle. A few more balls, and things could have been so different!
Watch the brilliant moments here: