Chasing a target of 205, England found themselves in a precarious position at 56-2 when Root arrived at the crease before tea on the fourth day
Joe Root's resilient unbeaten 62 steered England to a five-wicket victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Chasing a target of 205, England found themselves in a precarious position at 56-2 when Root arrived at the crease before tea on the fourth day. Root, along with his Yorkshire teammate Harry Brook (32), anchored a gritty partnership of 49 in 20 overs—a departure from England's aggressive 'Bazball' style, though the sluggish outfield made boundaries difficult.
The game hung in the balance when Brook offered a return catch to Jayasuriya, leaving England at 119-4, still needing 86 runs for victory. However, Jamie Smith, who had scored a maiden Test century in the first innings, supported Root with a brisk 39 in a 64-run partnership that pushed England closer to their target. England eventually reached 205-5, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Smith’s composed batting, particularly in the absence of regular captain Ben Stokes due to a series-ending hamstring injury, was crucial in this victory.
Sri Lanka's ability to stretch the match into the fourth day was a testament to their resilience, despite their early collapse to 6-3 on the first morning. Their tenacity continued in the field on Saturday until Smith broke the deadlock with consecutive boundaries off left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya, followed by a six.
By the time Smith was bowled by Asitha Fernando, England were just 22 runs shy of victory. Root then reached his fifty and sealed the win by lofting Jayasuriya for only his second boundary in 128 balls.
Earlier, Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis scored his third century in just four Tests, making 113 in a second-innings total of 326. Coming in with his team in trouble at 95-4, Mendis formed a crucial 117-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Dinesh Chandimal, who contributed 79. Mendis, who had been dropped on 39, showcased his class on Saturday with a flurry of boundaries, driving and pulling England's bowlers with authority.
However, Mendis' dismissal after reaching his century triggered a late collapse, with Sri Lanka losing their last four wickets for just 19 runs. Despite this, Mendis finished with a remarkable Test batting average of 92. His efforts, alongside Chandimal’s brave fifty, highlighted Sri Lanka’s fighting spirit, even as England overcame a setback before play with Mark Wood's injury, to claim a hard-fought victory.