Sri Lanka’s chase could have been tricky, but Pathum Nissanka took control on the third evening, significantly reducing the target with his aggressive approach.
When play resumed on Monday, Nissanka had already reached 53, becoming the first batter in England to score two half-centuries at a strike rate above a run per ball in the same Test. England desperately needed quick wickets, and Gus Atkinson, pushing through a quad injury, stepped up to bowl. In the fifth over of the day, Kusal Mendis hooked a delivery to fine leg, where Shoaib Bashir made an incredible diving catch, offering England a glimmer of hope.
With the ball swinging under the floodlights, Chris Woakes applied pressure to the incoming Angelo Mathews, repeatedly beating his outside edge. However, Mathews held firm, and with Nissanka standing resolute, England’s bowlers struggled to make any impact.
Debutant Josh Hull and off-spinner Bashir were unable to provide either control or a real threat, while Nissanka took full advantage of Olly Stone's short-pitched bowling. He reached his second Test century in style, with a well-timed back-foot punch off Atkinson, putting Sri Lanka within touching distance of victory.
England had one final opportunity to dismiss Nissanka when he mistimed a cut against a Stone bouncer, but Bashir, diving at third man, couldn’t hold onto the catch. By that point, though, the result was inevitable, and fittingly, Nissanka sealed the win by cutting Bashir to the boundary for four, completing Sri Lanka's triumphant chase.