Mathews' versatility stands out in a brilliant Test career

Following Dimuth Karunaratne’s recent retirement from Test cricket, veteran Angelo Mathews is now poised to step away from the longest format after Sri Lanka’s opening Test against Bangladesh in Galle on Tuesday, June 17. His departure marks a pivotal moment for Sri Lankan cricket, signaling a generational shift as the fourth cycle of the World Test Championship gets underway. Mathews, once the youngest Test captain for Sri Lanka in 2013, exits as the nation's third-highest run-scorer in the format. Mathews’ journey began to gather pace during the 2011 home series against Australia, where he posted 95 in Galle and followed it up with his maiden century—an unbeaten 105 in Colombo. Between 2011 and 2015, he averaged an impressive 53.66, with his 2014 campaign standing out. That year, he played a central role in Sri Lanka’s historic series win in England, scoring centuries that powered a 1-0 triumph. He also delivered crucial performances against Pakistan, including 91 in Galle and a match-winning 25* under dimming lights. Earlier that year, his 91 and 157* in Abu Dhabi had already set the tone. Mathews racked up 1314 runs in 2014—second only to Sangakkara’s 1493 in the same calendar year. Among 63 instances since 2009 of batters scoring over 1,000 Test runs in a year, only Michael Clarke (106.33 in 2012) and Kane Williamson (90.15 in 2015) averaged more than Mathews' 87.8 in 2014. His form dipped between 2016 and 2019, but even then, Mathews produced two notable centuries—one on a turning pitch in Delhi against India in 2017, and another during a gritty draw in Wellington a year later. That Wellington Test saw one of his finest efforts. Alongside Kusal Mendis, he compiled an unbroken 274-run partnership in 108.4 overs for the fourth wicket after Sri Lanka had slumped to 13/3. Their resistance, which came after conceding a 296-run first-innings deficit, helped secure a draw. In the annals of Test history, only two partnerships in the third or fourth innings of an away Test have lasted longer: Hammond and Jardine’s 147.1 overs in Adelaide (1929) and Edrich and Gibb’s 130.4 overs in Durban (1939).