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Patna : England beat Sri Lanka (SL) by 6 wickets in the 2nd test on Day 4 at Galle International Stadium, Galle, SL, on January 25, 2021, to win the two-match test series 2-0. England captain Joe Root, 30, was named both Player Of The Match and Player Of The Series. Root scored 186 in England’s first innings in 2nd test. He had scored 228 in 1st test.
Set a target of 164 runs to win the 2nd test, England scored 164/4 in 43.3 overs with opener Dominic Sibley scoring an unbeaten 56 in 144 balls hitting 2 fours and Jos Buttler (wk) scoring an unbeaten 46 in 48 balls with 5 fours. Sibley and Buttler added 75 runs in their unbroken partnership for the 5th wicket on a spin friendly wicket with spinner Lasith Embuldeniya firing on all cylinders. Embuldenia took 7 wickets in England’s first innings and 3 wickets in 2nd innings. Chasing the target, England were reduced to 89/4 but Sibley and Buttler steadied the ship.
SL, who had scored 381 runs in their first innings, were bundled out for a paltry 126 runs in their 2nd innings on Day 4 with Lasith Embuldeniya scoring 40 runs in 42 hitting 6 fours and 1 six. Captain Dinesh Chandimal fell to spinner Jack Leach for 9. Angelo Mathews fell to spinner Dominic Bess for 5.
Jack Leach took 4/59 in 14 overs while Dominic Bess took 4/49 in 16 overs. Captain Joe Root took two wickets in 1.5 overs without giving any run.
Earlier, resuming at their overnight score of 339/9, England were all out for 344 runs in their first innings in the first hour of the play on Day 4. In fact, 15 wickets fell on Day 4.
SL Captain Dinesh Chandimal appreciated the batting of Joe Root. He also described Lasith Embuldenia as an asset for the team.