One of the greatest batters of all time, Kumar Sangakkara played his last Test match on this day (August 24) in 2015. Known for his elegant stroke play, the stylish left-hander has represented Sri Lanka in 124 Tests and scored 12400 runs at an average of 57.14. Sangakkara was one of the key members of the Lankan team during their golden era of international cricket across formats.
The Matale-born cricketer’s last Test match was during India’s tour of Sri Lanka from August 20 to 24 at the P Sara Oval stadium in Colombo. The legendary cricketer received a standing ovation from the crowd when he came out to bat for one last time in whites. He also received a guard of honor from the Indian team as well as the umpires on his arrival at the crease in the first innings.
Sri Lanka won the opening Test match of the series by 63 runs in Galle to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series. However, the visitors bounced back in the second match, which was also Sangakkara’s final Test, to level the series with a 278-run win in Colombo. Notably, it was Virat Kohli’s first Test win as captain.
Sangakkara failed to shine in his final Test match
Opting to bat first, India posted a massive total of 393 for the loss of ten wickets in the first innings. While KL Rahul led from the front with a brilliant century (108), Kohli, (78), Rohit Sharma (79) and Wriddhiman Saha (56) also made crucial contributions. For Sri Lanka, Rangana Herath shone with the ball, picking up four wickets.
In reply, on the back of skipper Angelo Mathews’s 102 runs, the home team scored 306 runs. Sangakkara got off to a good start but he was not able to capitalize and was dismissed for 32 runs off 87 balls. Opener Kaushal Silva also contributed to the Lankan innings with a half-century.
In the second innings, Murali Vijay’s 82 and Ajinkya Rahane’s 126 runs helped India to post 325 runs for the loss of eight wickets before declaring. Chasing 413 runs, Sri Lanka managed to score only 134 runs thanks to a brilliant performance by the Indian bowlers. Sangakkara’s final innings (18 off 18 balls) also ended in disappointment as he was again dismissed by Ravichandran Ashwin.