Sri Lanka fast-bowling coach and former Pakistan paceman Aaqib Javed lauded the tourists’ quick bowlers who put England under pressure and brought their side close to victory in the third cricket Test at the Oval. England, already 2-0 up in this three-match series, suffered a dramatic top-order collapse as they slumped to 82-7 on the third day. Aaqib Javed lauded the tourists' quicks, with Lahiru Kumara taking 4-21 on Sunday and Vishwa Fernando's haul of 3-40 including the prize scalp of Joe Root, lbw for 12 to the left-armer's excellent in-swinging yorker. "If you look at the whole series, our bowlers had already done reasonably well, " said former Pakistan paceman Javed. "This game we went for the extra seamer and that paid off...We wanted to do well away from home and the fast bowlers have stood out." "This is how you put England under pressure," Javed beamed of the late flurry of runs, before lauding the performance of his attack in snuffing an overly aggressive batting line-up out for 156. It was a valiant effort by all four seamers, but especially from Lahiru Kumara and Vishwa Fernando as they bagged six of England's top seven wickets between them.

It was Vishwa's six-over spell of incisive swing bowling that shoved England in the mire, even if they were already teetering with Ben Duckett and Dan Lawrence falling in cavalier fashion. Having left the field to tend to hamstring stiffness, Vishwa, the 32-year-old left-arm seamer, let loose and trapped both Joe Root and Harry Brook in front across seven deliveries. "He came to the dressing room and went back and gave everything," Javed said. "He bowled some superb inswingers like Chaminda Vaas. Sometimes people go for safer options. But he went flat out. He gave everything." Meanwhile, Jamie Smith's dashing 67 in the third Test against Sri Lanka at the Oval on Sunday sparked memories of Australia great Adam Gilchrist for England assistant coach Paul Collingwood on what was an otherwise chastening day for the home side. England, already 2-0 up in this three-match series, suffered a dramatic top-order collapse as they slumped to 82-7 on the third day. Wicketkeeper Smith's outstanding 50-ball display, including 10 fours and a six, on his Surrey home ground helped them recover to 156 all out in their second innings.

That left Sri Lanka chasing 219 to win their first Test match in England in a decade and at stumps they were well on their way at 94-1, with Pathum Nissanka 53 not out -- the opener's second half-century of the match. Had it not been for the 24-year-old Smith, who has now scored three fifties and a hundred in six Tests, since making his England debut in July, Sri Lanka might already be on the brink of victory. Former England all-rounder Collingwood played against Gilchrist, an outstanding wicketkeeper-batsman renowned for his dynamic run-scoring down the order. He now sees some of the same qualities in rising star Smith. "He (Smith) is certainly an entertainer," Collingwood told reporters after stumps. "You go back to the days of Adam Gilchrist when he came in at seven for Australia. "He (Smith) is going to put a lot of teams under pressure when you have the skills and the power he has. "It sucks the life out of the opposition when someone has the ability to do something like that. He's certainly shown some great skills in his short Test career."

Credit: Independent News Pakistan