GALLE (Sri Lanka): England won the first Test on Monday by seven wickets with Jonny Bairstow and Dan Lawrence playing a lead role for the visitors.
Bairstow, who cracked a four to pass the winning target, and Lawrence steadied the innings and scored the required 36 runs in less than 10 overs.
The crumbling pitch gave Sri Lanka’s spinners hopes of claiming more wickets, but Bairstow (35) and Lawrence (21) took England to 76-3 after resuming at 38-3.
The win should have been a stroll after Sri Lanka collapsed to 135 in the first innings and England made 421 with a Joe Root double century. But the home side hit back with a determined 359 in their second innings before having England in trouble at 14-3 at one stage late Sunday.
“These run chases are always a little bit nervy,” said England captain Joe Root, who hit 228 in the first innings.
