After a sensational 3-2 series victory in the 50 overs format, Zimbabwe yet again gave the islanders a scare by running them very close in the one off Test at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lanka eventually returned triumphantly by wickets to save themselves from the blushes especially after the ODI series loss.
It was a brilliant display of batsmanship by the Sri Lankan batters in the final innings which enabled them to chase down a mammoth target of 388. Niroshan Dickwella smashed a sensational 80 and was backed up pretty well by Asela Gunaratne who remained unbeaten to see his team through.
Riding on a sensational 160 by Craig Ervine Zimbabwe posted a decent score in their 1st innings. Sri Lanka responded well and was just 10 runs short of Zimbabwe’s first innings. The African minnows batted superbly even in the 2nd essay on the back of a brilliant 127 by Sikandar Raza and gave Sri Lanka an unrealistic 388 to chase in the last day and a half.
The openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Upul Tharanga began well and stitched together a 50-run stand before Tharanga was bamboozled by leggie Graeme Cremer to give Zimbabwe their 1st wicket. Karunaratne fell a run short of a well-deserved half-century while Kusal Mendis played himself in. Sri Lanka went to stumps on Day 4 at 170/3 with former captain Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis in the middle.
The visitors needed some early wickets on the 5th day morning to give them a chance and they did what the doctor had just ordered them. Chandimal and Kusal Mendis was foxed by Graeme Cremer and the leggie added another to his kitty when he removed the former captain with an exceptional delivery. With Sri Lanka at 203/5, Zimbabwe was looking the favourites but wicket-keeper batsman Niroshan Dickwella and all-rounder Asela Gunaratne had other plans.
The duo played some delightful shots to get Sri Lanka going. Niroshan DIckwella struck some exceptional shots through the cover region while Gunaratne also made his attacking intentions clear. He smacked a couple of boundaries to start of his innings and looked in good touch along with his partner Dickwella.
The boundaries kept coming thick and fast as Zimbabwe was slowly feeling the heat. The southpaw looked in ominous touch but survived a very close shave. In the 73rd over he was beaten all ends up by Sikandar Raza and Regis Chakabva whipped off the bails in a flash. The on-field umpire went upstairs and though Dickwella’s feet were on the line with nothing behind it, the umpire after having a look at different angles ruled it in favour of the batting team which baffled the Zimbabwean cricketers and the support staff sitting in the dressing room.
The southpaw made full use of the life and went on to plunder the opposition bowlers to different parts of the ground. Meanwhile his partner Gunaratne also looked in good touch and smashed boundaries at will. With both being a natural stroke maker, the target kept coming down to manageable limits.
Dickwella’s innings finally came to an end on 80 when Sean Williams induced a false shot from his blade which left the hosts on 321/6. Dilruwan Perera joined Gunaratne in the middle in an attempt to finish off the job for the hosts. Gunaratne strolled his way to a well-made half-century and Sri Lanka was slowly coasting along towards the target.
Dilruwan survived a few close shaves towards the fag end of the innings but Zimbabwe was unable to get that elusive breakthrough. The Islanders chased the target down in the 115th over with Gunaratne and Dilruwan Perera at the crease.
Brief Scores
Zimbabwe 1st innings 356 all-out in 94.4 overs (Craig Ervine 160*, Rangana Herath 5/116)
Sri Lanka 1st innings 346 all-out in 102.3 overs (Upul Tharanga 71, Graeme Cremer 5/125)
Zimbabwe 2nd innings 377 all-out in 107.1 overs (Sikandar Raza 127, Rangana Herath 6/133)
Sri Lanka 2nd innings 391/6 in 114.5 overs (Niroshan Dickwella 81, Asela Gunaratne 80, Graeme Cremer 4/150)