Ace Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews, who was also the team's top run scorer on Day 3 of the ongoing first Test match between England and the Lankans, has called for a change of rules in Test regarding changing ball mid-innings.
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Mathews, who eventually scored 65 runs to help Sri Lanka post a total of 326 runs in their second innings, alleged that introducing a brand new ball in the middle of the innings affected his innings.
The hosts eventually clinched the first match of the series with a comprehensive five-wicket win as they chased down 205 runs comfortably.
What is the ball-change controversy in England vs Sri Lanka Test series?
Sri Lanka were sailing smoothly with 175 runs on the board on Day 3 when Mathews suddenly got dismissed. In the 41st over, standing umpires Chris Gaffaney and Paul Reiffel accepted England's request to change the ball that was in use.
The decision to bring in a much newer ball compared to the older one prompted Ollie Pope to bring in the seam bowlers and the hosts got benefit from the decision.
A frustrated Mathews later told Sky Sports, "It looked like they were running out of plans but unfortunately the ball was changed. We were told they didn't have old enough balls to replace. It changed the entire momentum of the game. You work so hard to get rid of that shine, and we did that. Once the ball was changed, it was a whole different game."
It was Chris Woakes who got the wicket of the veteran cricketer eventually as the batting lineup thereafter crumbled.
What next for Sri Lanka?
The Lankans will be back in action on August 29 as they take on the English in the second Test match of the ongoing series.
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