• Sri Lankan veteran Angelo Mathews bowed out of Test cricket as his final match ended in a tense draw against Bangladesh in Galle.

  • The first Test of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025–27 cycle saw both teams exchange punches across five days.

Fans react as Angelo Mathews’ Test journey for Sri Lanka ends with draw against Bangladesh in Galle
Angelo Mathews (Image Source: X)

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In what turned out to be a bittersweet farewell, Sri Lankan veteran Angelo Mathews bowed out of Test cricket as his final match ended in a tense draw against Bangladesh at the Galle International Stadium. The first Test of the 2025–27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle saw both teams exchange punches across five days. Still, the outcome left Sri Lanka holding on and Bangladesh ruing a missed opportunity to script a memorable win. Despite dominating large portions of the match, Najmul Hossain Shanto‘s side fell short of securing an outright victory, partially due to a conservative approach in the final innings and untimely rain interruptions.

Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim stand set the tone for Bangladesh

Winning the toss and electing to bat, Bangladesh posted a commanding 495, with a stunning 264-run partnership between captain Najmul Shanto (148) and veteran Mushfiqur Rahim (163) anchoring their innings. Litton Das chipped in with a fluent 90, while Sri Lanka’s bowlers toiled hard under the sun. Asitha Fernando (4/86) and Milan Rathnayake (3/39) were the pick of the bowlers but lacked sustained support from the others. The scoreboard pressure was already significant, and Bangladesh had firmly asserted themselves early in the contest.

In response, Sri Lanka showed their mettle with a nearly equivalent reply, posting 485, just 10 runs short. The backbone of their innings was Pathum Nissanka’s career-best 187 (256 balls), a knock of high class that cemented his place among the finest Test batters currently active. His elegant strokeplay was complemented by a composed 87 from Kamindu Mendis, allowing the hosts to absorb pressure and match Bangladesh’s total nearly run-for-run. However, the effort left them trailing slightly, which would later shape the game’s dynamics.

Also WATCH: SL vs BAN: Suresh Raina’s heartfelt message for Angelo Mathews on his retirement

Shanto makes history as Bangladesh but Sri Lankan resistance holds

Bangladesh’s second innings was a slow-burning affair. Resuming their batting after the rain-hit fourth morning, they consumed 87 overs and declared at 285/6, setting Sri Lanka a target of 296 in 37 overs. The final session, though, saw Bangladesh fall into the trap of caution over ambition. Shanto, on his way to a historic unbeaten 125, became only the 18th captain in Test history to score a century in both innings of a match, and the first Bangladeshi to achieve that milestone. However, it took him 50 deliveries post the rain break to reach his hundred, during which the team added just 19 runs and lost two wickets. The late acceleration with 28 runs coming in 16 balls showed what could have been possible had they shifted gears earlier.

Given 37 overs to bowl Sri Lanka out, Bangladesh struck early. By the 24th over, Sri Lanka were reeling at 48/4, with Taijul Islam (3/23) and Nayeem Hasan (1/29) exploiting a worn, turning surface. Taijul was particularly dangerous, removing Mathews in his final Test innings and later dismantling Dinesh Chandimal and Lahiru Udara with turn and bounce. But Bangladesh’s late charge was met with calm resistance. Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu absorbed the pressure and batted out the final overs, their unbroken partnership of 53 balls helping the hosts close at 72/4 and secure a draw. The teams shook hands with five overs remaining, ending what was a riveting, if slightly incomplete, contest.

Here’s how fans reacted:

Also READ: Retiring Angelo Mathews reveals the best moments of his Test career – SL vs BAN

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