Playing 100 Tests for the country is one of the biggest achievements for a cricketer. Recently, the likes of Virat Kohli crossed this milestone. Now, it is Angelo Mathews‘ turn to enter this elite list. On Sunday, he became the sixth Sri Lankan to play 100 Test matches as he took the field against Pakistan in Galle.
6th Sri Lankan to play 100 Test matches
It was actually in the ODI format that Angelo Mathews made his debut for the country. When he entered the international arena, he oozed a lot of promise. He was one of the rare breeds of subcontinent cricketers who fell into the category of medium-pace bowling all-rounders at that time.
Although he initially contributed to both departments of the game, injuries started to hamper his progress. Then, Mathews had to stay away from bowling and concentrate on his batting. This worked wonders for him as he became a crucial part of the middle order for his country. He focused on playing more Tests and executed some very vital knocks for his team. In 99 Tests, he scored 6876 runs at an average of 45. At the beginning of his career, he also came up with 33 wickets.
The country is going through a transition at the moment. Good youngsters are coming through but the team would still need the services of Mathews. He is 35 years old and as he revealed in a recent interview, he has plans to play until 40.
List of Sri Lankan players to play 100 Tests
Sri Lanka is a country with a rich heritage in Test cricket. Before Mathews, five players have played more than 100 Tests for the country. Here is a look at the names:
Mahela Jayawardene – 149 matches
Kumar Sangakkara – 134 matches
Muttiah Muralitharan – 132 matches
Chaminda Vaas – 111 matches
Sanath Jayasuriya – 110 matches
Angelo Matthews – 100 matches
All these five players are elites of the game. It will be a proud moment for Angelo Mathews to enter this list. It now needs to be seen as to how far he would climb in this list.
