New Delhi: Sri Lanka recorded one of the best wins in their cricket history after defeating England in the third and final Test of the three-match series at the Oval, London. The Islanders thrashed the Three Lions by eight wickets to earn a consolation win as the hosts, despite the loss, claimed a 2-1 series win to end the home summer on a winning note.
The landmark win of Sri Lanka, their first on English soil since 2014, continued the trend of stunning results in Test cricket in 2024. With more than three months and several Tests still left in the year, 2024 promises more unexpected results which is a good omen for Test cricket. Facing challenging times, five-day cricket would do well to get a dose of uncertainty, drama and excitement to shift eyeballs from slam-bang white-ball action.
Thankfully, 2024 has been full of such moments.
West Indies end 27-year wait with famous Gabba win
Shamar Joseph’s 7-wicket haul powered West Indies to a tunning victory against Australia in the 2nd Test. (Photo: AP)
Nobody gave the Caribbean side even the slimmest of chances on their Tour Down Under at the start of their year. West Indies fans’ fears of a humiliating rout grew further after they lost the first Test in Adelaide by 10 wickets. But the exuberance of youth did wonders for the visitors, who surprised the hosts on their Gabba stronghold in Brisbane with a fearless brand of cricket to square the 2-match series 1-1.
Led by an inspired Shamar Joseph, West Indies claimed their first Test-match victory in Australia in 27 years. Joseph produced an outstanding spell as he single-handedly ran through the Aussie batting line-up in their chase of 216 runs, picking up seven wickets and guiding his team to a famous eight-run win.
Bangladesh cricket reaches unimaginable heights with historic win over Pakistan
Bangladesh’s Hasan Mahmud, third right, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique during the third day of second test cricket match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (Photo – PTI)
If West Indies’ Gabba win was epic, Bangladesh’s twin victories in Rawalpindi were even more extraordinary. Facing a team, that held an undefeated record, on their home soil was always going to be a massive challenge. But after years of promise, Bangla Tigers finally converted their potential into results with a commanding 10-wicket victory over Shan Masood’s men to claim their maiden Test win against Pakistan.
The visitors replicated their performance a few days later at the same venue, claiming the second Test and the series to put the icing on the cake and rub salt in the wounds of Pakistan. The extraordinary result was yet another reminder of the unexpected nature of five-day cricket, which, in particular, is cruel, to those, who take the game for granted and fail to perform consistently over the course of five days.
Sri Lanka shatter England’s aura of invincibility
England’s Bazball was left exposed as Sri Lanka secured a famous win in the Oval Test. (Photo: Getty Images)
Coming into the Oval Test with a 2-0 lead and an opportunity to end the home summer with a flawless 6-0 record, England were expected to stroll past Sri Lanka. After all, amidst a plethora of uncertainties, England steamrolling their opponents through the “Bazball” approach seems certain, almost inevitable.
For the best part of the opening day, England did what they do best. Hammering the bowlers to every corner of the park, treating them with disdain and taking the wind out of their opponent’s sails with relentless and ruthless aggression.
But, cricket, as they say, is a great leveller, and England were guilty of committing actions that came back to bite them.
English batters’ reckless approach saw them slump from 261 for 3 to 325 all out in the first innings after losing their last seven wickets for just 64 runs.
But instead of learning from their mistakes, England committed plenty more on Day 2, 3 and 4 to dig themselves in the hole.
England’s mindless approach under the garb of “Bazball” gave Sri Lanka the opening and the Islanders, led by Player of the Match Pathum Nissanka (64, 127) took the opportunity to end a seven-Test losing run against England with their first Test win in 10 years on English soil.
Even the fastest professional racing drivers slow down and change gears unlike England who are too stubborn to switch from the top gear.
It’s as if Test cricket said to England: “If you don’t respect me, I won’t respect you”.
Here’s hoping Test-match cricket keeps springing up surprises.
Facing challenging times, Test-match cricket would do well to get a consistent dose of uncertainty, drama and excitement to shift eyeballs from slam-bang white-ball action. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
