1998 or 2024? Sanath Jayasuriya picks between Sri Lanka's famous wins at The Oval

Sanath Jayasuriya slammed a double century in the 1998 test match win at The Oval.

Sri Lanka’s interim coach Sanath Jayasuriya opined that the weather conditions in Sri Lanka’s latest victory at The Oval were tougher than their win at the same venue 26 years ago, in which the former all-rounder himself starred with the bat.

On Monday, Sri Lanka recorded their fourth test win in England, and second at The Oval. The visitors defeated England by eight wickets.

In the 1998 Oval test win, Jayasuriya scored 213 runs off 278 balls in the first innings and Muthiah Muralitharan took 16 wickets in the match.

While that game was played on a dry pitch under clear skies, the 2024 version of Sri Lanka’s Oval victory came under cloudy conditions and on a green pitch with the Lankan pacers making hay.

Sanath Jayasuriya said, “About 27 years ago we won here, under Arjuna [Ranatunga]. Murali [Muthiah Muralidaran] got about 16 wickets, I got a double-hundred, Aravinda [de Silva] got a 150. It’s a place we’ll never forget – The Oval.

“But these guys played in different conditions altogether. It was tough conditions, with the grass, the weather, and everything was cloudy and cold. All credit to these boys. The fielders fielded well and the batsmen took responsibility in the second innings.”

It’s the first time we went with four fast bowlers: Sanath Jayasuriya

While Pathum Nissanka bagged the Man of the Match for his breezy century and half-century, the Sri Lankan pacers setup the game. Asitha Fernando took three wickets, Milan Rathnayake took four, Vishwa Fernando took five, and Lahiru Kumara scalps six wickets.

England were bowled out for 156 in their second innings, setting Sri Lanka a target of 219 runs.

Sanath Jayasuriya hailed his pacers, “It’s the first time we went with four fast bowlers, and we went with that because of the conditions here, and all of them went beyond 100% in their efforts. It’s a joy to talk about them. Our second-innings bowling was remarkable – they stuck to the plan and got them out in under 35 overs, all out for a little more than 150.”

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