England registered a 2-1 Test series win against Sri Lanka on Monday, September 9 at the Kennington Oval in London. While the hosts won the opening two Tests to claim the series, they went down, registering an eight-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka, courtesy Pathum Nissanka’s unbeaten 127-run knock in the final innings.
After claiming the series, The Three Lions’s veteran Joe Root opened up on the team’s defeat in the final Test. Speaking after Sri Lanka pulled off highest successful chase by an Asian team in England, Root dropped a shocking comparison of their defeat to Coldplay, a British pop-rock band.
Coldplay can’t be number one every week: Joe Root after England’s defeat in 3rd Test
While the top run-scorer for England in the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home, Root admitted that the team will not get things right all the time, comparing themselves with the English rock band. “We are not always going to get it right all of the time. I don’t think we played our best cricket this week and that is going to happen from time to time. Coldplay can’t be number one every week. For 90% of the summer we have. We have shown what a good team we can be,” Root told BBC Test Match Special.
The 33-year-old batter finished the England home Test summer as the top run-scorer for the side in the recently concluded Test series. He amassed 375 runs from six innings at an average of 75 with two hundred and one fifty. Moreover, he was adjudged the Player of the Series, bagging his sixth and surpassing James Anderson’s tally of five.
Although he became England player to have been awarded the honour most times in Test cricket, he also received the Play of the Summer for finishing as the highest run-scorer with 774 runs from ten innings at an average of 74, including three hundred and as many fifties. He also became England’s leading centurion in the longest format with 34 tons, surpassing Sir Alastair Cook’s tally of 33. Root also surpassed Mahela Jayawardene, Shivanarine Chanderpaul, Brian Lara and Kumar Sangakkara to become the sixth highest run-getter in the history of the format with 12,4-2 runs to his name in 146 matches.
England vs Sri Lanka three-match Test series: Stats and number
Hundreds at over run-a-ball in successful Test chases:
136(92) – Jonny Bairstow (ENG) vs NZ, Trent Bridge, 2022
127*(124) – Pathum Nissanka (SL) vs ENG, The Oval, 2024
122*(122) – Justin Langer (AUS) vs NZ, Hamilton, 2000
104*(90) – Kane Williamson (NZ) vs BAN, Wellington, 2017
101*(85) – Matthew Hayden (AUS) vs ZIM, Sydney, 2003
Match-winning fourth innings Test tons for Sri Lanka:
153* – Kusal Perera vs SA, Durban, 2019
143* – Aravinda de Silva vs ZIM, Colombo (SSC), 1998
127* – Pathum Nissanka vs ENG, The Oval, 2024
123 – Mahela Jayawardene vs SA, Colombo (PSS), 2006
122 – Dimuth Karunaratne vs NZ, Galle, 2019
Highest run-rates in a successful 200-plus chase in Tests:
5.98 – ENG vs NZ, Trent Bridge, 2022
5.77 – ENG vs SA, The Oval, 1994
5.47 – NZ vs BAN, Wellington, 2017
5.44 – ENG vs NZ, Headingley, 2022
5.40 – SL vs ENG, The Oval, 2024
Visiting batters with 100s in successful run-chases in England:
214* – Gordon Greenidge (WI), Lord’s, 1984
182 – Arthur Morris (AUS), Headingley, 1948
173* – Don Bradman (AUS), Headingley, 1948
154* – Graeme Smith (SA), Edgbaston, 2008
127* – Patthum Nissanka (SL), The Oval, 2024
118* – Shai Hope (WI), Headingley, 2017
108* – Conrad Hunte (WI), The Oval, 1963
Most Player of the Series awards in Tests for England:
6 – Joe Root
5 – Graham Gooch
5 – Andrew Strauss
5 – James Anderson
Highest successful-run chases by Asian teams in England:
219 – SL vs ENG, The Oval, 2024
180 – PAK vs AUS, Headingley, 2010
173 – IND vs ENG, The Oval, 1971
148 – PAK vs ENG, The Oval, 2010
138 – PAK vs ENG, Lord’s, 1992
Notably, this is also Sri Lanka’s second successful 200-plus run-chase in Tests outside the subcontinent after their thrilling one-wicket win (target: 352) against South Africa in Durban in 2019.
Sri Lanka’s Test wins in England:
By 10 wickets – The Oval, 1998
By 134 runs – Trent Bridge, 2006
By 100 runs – Headingley, 2014
By 8 wickets – The Oval, 2024
Highest run-rates in a Test match:
4.93 – PAK vs IND, Lahore, 2006
4.77 – SA vs AUS, Johannesburg, 1902
4.73 – ENG vs IRE, Lord’s, 2023
4.69 – ENG vs SL, 2024
4.54 – ENG vs BAN, Chester-le-Street, 2005