Sri Lanka vs Pakistan: Angelo Mathews believes age is just a number ahead of 100th Test match

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[google-translator]

Sri Lanka are set to take on Pakistan in the second Test match of the series with the hopes that they can draw it level. Veteran Angelo Mathews will be playing his 100 long format game.

Angelo Mathews in training. (Courtesy: AP)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • At 35, Angelo Mathews is Sri Lanka’s best batsman in current form
  • Angelo Mathews has happy memories at Galle
  • The second Test match was shifted from Colombo to Galle over logistical complications

Sri Lanka are set to play their second Test match against Pakistan from 24 July. Down by 0-1 in the series, Sri Lanka will be desperately hoping for a win in the second Test match to avoid a cleansweep from a spirited Babar Azam side.

Veteran Angelo Mathews is set to play his 100th Test match, and the home side will be hoping for the 25-year-old to turn it up once again.

Ahead of the game, Mathews was asked about his inspiration and he took the name of England fast bowler James Anderson, who made a comeback to the England Test side, under the captaincy of Ben Stokes, just a month back in the English summer.

“My inspiration is Jimmy Anderson. Being a fast bowler, he still wants to play a couple of more years,” Mathews told reporters ahead of the Test match.

“See it’s the drive that you have towards the game. It’s not going to stop here. I still have a few more years,” he further added.

There have been discussion held about the sustainability of an all-format cricketer with Ben Stokes quitting the ODI format for England, but Mathews said that he is more than willing to play whatever comes his way.

“Age is just a number, and I am still willing to give it my best in all three formats.”

Sri Lanka have lost the opening Test and will be hoping to perform better against a patient batting line-up of Pakistan, who managed to chase down a steep target set by the Lankans in the first game. Test cricket has been rather entertaining in the Island Nation and Mathews agreed that it was his favourite format.

“I prefer Test cricket. We like if there are many more Test matches because most of the leading players want to play more Test cricket,” he said.

“But, unfortunately, I think we have about seven Test matches for the next 18 months or so. We hope SLC would make arrangements to include a few more Test matches.”

— ENDS —

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