More aggressive intent by England on the first four days of this Test would have given them plenty more overs than the 24.2 which rain allowed in Sri Lanka’s second innings.
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Neither England nor Sri Lanka had any chance of forcing victory and England won the series 2-0.
Sri Lanka, humiliated by two heavy defeats, can save some face and preserve a 25-year unbeaten record at the home of cricket by pulling off a monumental chase, which was reduced to 330 runs with 10 wickets in hand by stumps.
Replays suggested Pradeep’s front foot may have been behind the crease, but fielding teams are unable to challenge a no-ball call by an umpire, and Hales survived.
Bairstow returned to Test action last summer thanks to a stunning run of form with the bat that has continued through to 2016, winning the player of the series award after England beat Sri Lanka 2-0.
England have named the uncapped Tymal Mills, Dawid Malan and Liam Dawson in a 13-man squad for their upcoming Twenty20 global against Sri Lanka.
The tourists, who are now 2-0 down in the three-match series, began their chase well with the bat, as openers Dimuth Karunaratne, who was dropped by Bairstow on 27, and Kaushal Silva survived an early England onslaught and they both reached their half-century.
The England opener had previously managed two scores of 80-plus in the current Investec series against Sri Lanka.
“This series and in South Africa I think I’ve done that”.
Meanwhile, Bairstow was delighted to silence the doubters after being named man of the series. It’s never nice to be dropped but you do you go back and learn about yourself.
Coming in at No. 7, the lowest he’s ever been in the lineup, Cook and Hales offered the odd sight of the regular openers pairing up so late.
Cook tried four bowlers to knock out Karunaratne and Silva, in vain.
England fast bowler James Anderson trapped Kaushal Silva lbw for 16 with an excellent inswinging delivery to claim the only wicket.
Despite being just one short of a fifty, he made a decision to call of England’s innings, hence giving the visitors a target of 362.
However, after multiple rain interruptions, the umpires called for an early lunch and the game finally resumed at 13:20 local time.
Alex Hales again fell agonisingly short of a maiden Test hundred as England got the better of several close calls in the third Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s on Sunday (June 12).
There will be a few days off for seven players from that squad in India with Moeen Ali, Hales, Root all rested and Stokes continuing his recovery from injury.
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The tourists are also entitled to write a stiff letter – not to the International Cricket Council about the wicket of Alex Hales on Sunday which was wrongly called a no-ball by umpire Rod Tucker, because those were the rules, albeit rules which need revising, but to the England and Wales Cricket Board.
