Don't have words to explain what this victory means: Angelo Mathews

Sri Lanka beat Australia in the first Test to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series. The Asian team had to toil hard not just against the visitors but also against the rain gods to secure the win. Most part of the 5 days were either washed off by rain or weren’t suitable for play due to bad light. Despite so many odds against them the Sri Lankan team managed to win the Test by 109 runs.

The importance of this victory is lot more than what it appears. It will give the under-transition team hope and self-belief. The young boys will now play the upcoming games with that feeling and might well transform things in their favor. It was Rangana Herath’s bowling that started the turnaround for them and Kusal Mendis’ knock in the third inning bent things hugely towards them. In the end, the Aussies couldn’t hold fort for longer than 88.3 overs and were bowled out as Herath claimed a fifer.

The Sri Lankan skipper was mighty pleased by the effort of his boys. It is Sri Lanka’s second Test win over Australia and first in the last 17 years.

Following the game, in the post match presentation skipper, Angelo Mathews said: “Don’t have words to explain after a very hard few months. We regrouped, trained really well and prepared to the best. Brilliant effort by the whole team. Credit to Australians, they bowled really well. Not a good effort by our batters in the first innings. We needed that 200-plus lead. Special knock by a special young player. Fantastic effort. The old man Herath was brilliant once again. Sandakan a brilliant find for us. We knew this was going to take our turn, Sandakan responded brilliantly. I’m not trying to think about captaincy and the pressure too much.”

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It was a new experience for the Australian skipper as well, he lost the first Test match in his captaincy career. They were on top at the start of the Test and after the first inning but they were rolled over in the next half of the Test match.

Steven Smith said: “Tough week, credit to Sri Lanka the way they played this week. We let ourselves down with the bat, we weren’t disciplined with the bat. Credit to Kusal, 176 turned the game. Tough to come back from there. (Would have been) nice to have a bigger lead than that. 268 on this wicket was always going to be tough. Wicket was spinning quite a bit, tough to lose O’Keefe but that’s cricket. We have got to find our plans and find ways to play in these conditions. 1-0 down in a three-match series so have to turn it around quickly.”

Also read – SL v AUS, 1st Test Review: Sri Lanka scripts a historic victory