England secured a 5-wicket victory in the first Test of the 3-match series against Sri Lanka. However, the match didn’t end without controversy, as Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews voiced criticism over what he deemed as an ‘unfair’ change of ball.
The incident occurred during Sri Lanka’s second innings when the momentum shifted significantly in England’s favour following the ball switch. Mathews believes that this decision played a crucial role in altering the course of the match.
The change, authorized by umpires Chris Gaffaney and Paul Reiffel at it came at a time when Sri Lanka had a slender 14-run lead with Mathews playing on 59 and Kamindu Mendis supporting him well with his 33.
Mathews expressed his frustration, explaining that Sri Lanka had worked hard to get rid of the ball’s shine, which had neutralized the England bowling attack. However, the momentum shifted in England’s favour again due to the unexpected ball change.
“It was unfortunate, to be honest. Yesterday we were sitting pretty until the ball was changed. I think it could be unfair for batters on both teams, because the batters want to get rid of the hard, shiny ball, and once we got to the 48-over mark, I think we were quite comfortably playing them,” Mathews told Test Match Special.
“Once the ball was changed, I think it changed the entire momentum of the game. It started swinging both ways, it started nipping back in, so it was really difficult. The batters are waiting to get rid of the hardness of the ball, and it’s unfortunate that the ball was changed and it started swinging and it changed the whole complexion of the game,” Mathews added.
