Sri Lanka’s Mathews hails ‘dream run’ in final Test against Bangladesh
GALLE: Sri Lanka are set to begin a two-Test series against Bangladesh in Galle on Tuesday that will mark the end of Angelo Mathews’s “dream run” in the game’s longest format, as the cricket season resumed following South Africa’s World Test Championship triumph at Lord’s. The red-ball matches between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be followed by a white-ball series of three one-day internationals and three T20s. Hosts Sri Lanka begin the contest as firm favorites, eager to turn a fresh page after a stuttering end to the previous WTC cycle. Sri Lanka were firmly in the mix for a place in the WTC final until December before the wheels came off spectacularly. Two defeats in South Africa followed by a twin collapse at Galle against Australia saw them tumble down the rankings. “We had one hand on a spot in the final but a few brain fades at crunch moments cost us dearly,” Sri Lankan captain Dhananjaya de Silva told reporters on Monday. “We’ve learnt our lessons. A strong home start lays the foundation for success on the road.”