Twitter reactions: England complete second straight series sweep in Sri Lanka

England defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the second Test at Galle International Stadium to comp🔯lete a clean sweep in 🧸the 2-match series.

This is a second time that an English team has registered a whitewash in Sri Lanka. They did the same in 2018, under Joe Root’s captaincy. Additionally, it is the first time in more than 100 years that England have won five consecutive Tests overseas.

With the victory in the final Test, England becam♛e the first visiting side to𝄹 win six consecutive Test matches in Sri Lanka since winning the Galle Test in April 2012.

Most wins at Galle by a visiting side:

• 3 – England
• 2 – India/Australia/Pakistan

In the match, Jack Leach and Dom Bess picked up four wickets each to dominate the Islanders in the afternoon session after the hosts began their second innings early with a lead ♍of 37 on Day 4.

Number 10 batsman Lasith Embuldeniya top-scored with 40, after his seven wickets, which helped pack England’s first innings 344. The left-hander was the only batsman to score higher than 20 runs as Sri Lanka collapsed from 29/1 to 126/10 in their second innings.

Embuldeniya showed resistance by adding 48 runs for the ninth wicket with Suranga Lakmal, who made 11 not out before England skipper Joe Root took the final two wickets.

England received the target of 164 runs to win the match which they reached in 43.3 overs, thanks to crucial contributions from Dom Sibley (56 no), Jonny Bairstow (29) and Jos Buttler (46 no). Embuldeniya bagged three more scalps to complete 10-wickets 🥂in the match.

Earlier, Root smashed 19th Test ton of his glorious career and second of this series. He scored 186 off 309 balls with the help of 18 boundaries. Apart from Root, veteran pacer James Anderson shined with th🌺e ball in the first innings, bagging his 30th fifer in the longest format꧑.

Here is how Twitter reacted:

Now that is a PROPER Test match Win … !!! This team are developing the right character which you absolutely need to Win big series … !! 👍👍

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan)

In 12 hits since the start of the 2020 summer – when many thought his Test career was close to finished – Jos Buttler is averaging 55. That was a beaut of an innings.

— Adam Collins (@collinsadam)

6 Anderson
3 Wood
1 Curran
—
4 Bess
4 Leach
2 Root

First time in 143 years history of Test c💃ricket that fasꦿt bowlers have taken 10 wickets in one innings and spinners have 10 in the other innings.

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad)

Maiden 10-wicket haul in a Test match for Lasith Embuldeniya. He has been brilliant. Looking at how England are finding it hard to play left-arm orಌthodox spinner won’t be surprised if Axar P✱atel makes his debut at Chepauk. Any thoughts?

— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang)

YES LADS! 🦁 🦁 🦁

We win the second Test by six wickets and the se💯ries 2-0 😍

Scorecard:

— England Cricket (@englandcricket)

Embuldeniya v Crawley series head-to-head:

39 balls
12 runs
4 wickets
3.00 average

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst)

This has been an excellent innings from Dom Sibley. Still has questionꦕs to answer against spin but a couple of technical adjustments have helped him and he’s played with a clear plan. Good stuff.

— Rob Johnston (@RobJ_Cricket)

England win! 🙌🙌🙌

Joe Root's side claim a 2 – 0 series win over Sri Lanka, with more remarkable performances from the Yorkshire trio 😍

— Yorkshire CCC (@YorkshireCCC)

For the first time in this series , Lasith Embuldeniya was unable to get the wickets of both the English openers.
Dom Sibley by remaining not out in the second innings has deꦜnied him this honour.

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman)

2-0 England. The series is all set up now. India v England. The ༺perfect build up.

— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar)

England gain two rating points in the ICC Test Team Rankings after the conclusion of the 🦄seriesꦺ 👇

— ICC (@ICC)

Congratulations on wrapp൲ing u♕p a 2-0 series win! 👏

What a Test these two have had 🔥

🌹

— Lancashire Cricket Men (@lancscricket)

Joe Root as Test captain in Sri Lanka:

Won
Won
Won
Won
Won

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns)

Sri Lanka in Tests at Home since 2017

v Bangladesh
Won, Lost

v Zimbabwe
Won

v India
Lost, Lost, Lost

v South Africa
Won, Won

v England
Lost, Lost, Lost

v New Zealand
Won, Lost

v England
Lost, Lost

— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom)

Sri Lankan cricket is not in a brilliant way buꦉt for England to win 5 consecutive Tests there over 3 years is 𝄹a fantastic achievement.

— Tim Wigmore (@timwig)

Outstanding series win for England. Similar to India in Aus they lost the toss on both occasions and stilꦑl went on to win the series 2-0. Not easy🐼 doing this in Asia. Its happened only 11 times in the last 10 years. Kudos to these guys. England India could be a competitive series

— Gaurav Sundararaman (@gaurav_sundar)