SL VS ENG - 2nd Test, England tour of Sri Lanka, 2018

A team effort by England has helped them clinch an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the series. It was a brave effort by Sri Lanka too. Batting fourth on such wickets is never easy, but they never gave up. Got to appreciate their effort and attitude. There's still one match remaining in this series and England will be looking forward to inflict a whitewash. Can they? If they play the same brand of cricket, they might as well. That's all we've got from this game. It was nice bringing you the coverage of this 5-day thrilling contest. On behalf of Pradeep and Harish, this is Nikhil signing off. Enjoy your Sunday. Laters mates!

Shubham: Dropping Broad, going with a variety 3-spinner bowling attack, sticking with out-of-form Jennings because he is a good player of spin and contributions from almost everyone, England have done all right. This needs to be acknowledged instead of saying that Sri Lanka is playing poor cricket.

Joe Root, MoM: Brilliant Test match, I thought we were very good in the whole game really. At times we were under pressure and we responded really well to that. Can't be more proud of the guys. Sri Lanka played brilliantly in both innings but we stayed calm and managed to find ways to get back in the game. We played some close games against India, and this was similar to that. Really pleasing to see the result going our way. The guys have worked really hard on their catching. We got many dynamic fielders like Jos and Stokes, those guys have been around for a while. We have been courageous at times. As a whole squad we have done really well. We got to keep looking to improve, can't keep still. We want to get to the number 1 rank in the world at some point and we got to be consistent to do that. There are competitions for places within the squad. We need to keep taking opportunities that are in store for us. It's another game to look forward to (about the third Test).

Suranga Lakmal, Sri Lanka captain: It was a good game and it was a challenging wicket. Both sides played good cricket. 250 would have been good but 300 was a bit too much. Expect to give our 100 percent in the next match.

STATS
This is England's first away series victory since beating South Africa in 2015-16

First away series victory in Asia since beating India in 2012-13

First series win in Sri Lanka since beating them in 2001

First Test defeat as captain for Sri Lanka's Suranga Lakmal

First away Test series win for Joe Root as England's captain

Ben Foakes - It feels nice, to win the Test series after two games is really good. Keeping here was tricky, the ball was keeping low at times and it was a nightmare. As long as we win the game, my contributions doesn't matter. Worked hard at the nets with Mark Ramprakash, the team feeling is excellent. We have worked hard for this and deserve this success.

Moeen Ali - It was nice to take those two wickets last evening, Dickwella was the big wicket this morning. A good team performance, everyone contributed to the cause. Those last wicket partnerships and runs scored by Sam Curran was vital.

Adil Rashid - It has been an exciting feeling, can't express it in words. We will savour this victory, it wasn't easy coming, the pitch wasn't the easiest to bowl, it was spinning a lot at times and there wasn't a lot to work with in terms of rough

Jack Leach - Unbelievable, it's a great feeling. The lads really deserved that, we had to battle hard, it wasn't an easy wicket to bowl at. Had to bowl consistent line and lengths constantly.

10:15 Local Time, 04:45 GMT, 10:15 IST: Just a matter of 30 minutes on Day 5, it was. England are walking back to the pavilion with a standing ovation from the crowd and Jack Leach leading the troop. What a clinical performance this has been from England. "Too good for the hosts," reckons Mike Atherton on air. It's also their first away series win in Tests since 2015-16 (the one they won against South Africa). It was a lip smacking track for the spinners as 38 wickets were claimed by them but it were the English spinners who came out on top. Root played a significant knock and led his team from the front but it was Sam Curran's knock in the first innings that helped England forge a comeback after they were blown out by spin in the first two sessions of the match. They're the number 1 team in ODIs at present but if they continue playing this brand of cricket in Tests, they might notch up to the peak in the longest format soon. Don't think any other team has as good all-rounders as England do.

Jack Leach to Malinda Pushpakumara, out Caught&Bowled!! That's the game, and the series. 2-0 up with one match to go. England have started to celebrate but the umpire has gone upstairs to check whether it's a bump ball. No, it isn't. England register a win in Sri Lanka after 17 years. That's been a long wait. Was a very flighted delivery by Leach and Malinda Pushpakumara chips it straight to the bowler who bags his maiden five-wicket haul. Malinda Pushpakumara c and b Jack Leach 1(9)

Jack Leach to Malinda Pushpakumara, THATS OUT!! Caught&Bowled!!

Jack Leach to Malinda Pushpakumara, no run, slower through the air, outside off and Malinda Pushpakumara's sweep is nowhere close to make contact

Jack Leach to Dananjaya, 1 run, driven to deep mid-on by Dananjaya for a single, Anderson was charging in to gather the ball but fumbled

Jack Leach to Dananjaya, no run, flatter on middle and leg, Dananjaya nudges it towards short leg

Jack Leach to Malinda Pushpakumara, 1 run, goes for a sweep and gets a top-edge down to fine leg, was in the air and was there a short fine this was game over

Jack Leach to Malinda Pushpakumara, no run, in the corridor outside off, full in length and turning away, Malinda Pushpakumara pokes and misses

Moeen Ali to Dananjaya, no run, dabs the flighted delivery into the off side

Moeen Ali to Dananjaya, no run, spinning away sharply outside off, Dananjaya plays inside the line, lets the keeper do the rest

Moeen Ali to Dananjaya, no run, defends this one into the off side

Moeen Ali to Dananjaya, no run, that almost was the game. Dananjaya was way down the wicket to play this one but the flight and huge spin took it almost to the first slip. By the time Foakes gathers the ball and takes off the bails, Dananjaya gets back in