Star New Zealand pacer Tim Southee was relentless in the final day of the 2nd Test match against Sri Lanka and his spell helped the Kiwis trounce Sri Lanka by an innings 65 runs at the P Sara Oval in Colombo. During his spell, Southee picked up his 250th Test wicket and joined an elite list of Test players.
He became the only the 8th Test player to have 1500+ runs, 250+ wickets and 45+ catches. He joined a list which is already populated by:
– Ian Botham
– Kapil Dev
– Shane Warne
– Anil Kumble
– Shaun Pollock
– Jacques Kallis
– Daniel Vettori
For all his skills and pedigree in helpful conditions, Tim Southee has remarkable numbers in Asia – he averages 25.12 across 11 Tests in Asian conditions, and this is further bolstered in Sri Lanka, where his average is a stunning 15.47.
Speaking after the convincing win, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said that his side deserved to win the match and draw level in the series.
“A great effort to push for victory and ultimately come out on the winning side. Naturally when the game starts coming so close, and the light’s always a factor here as well this time of the year (you do get tense). But it was an outstanding effort from the first innings itself. And then the batters scored at a rate that allowed us to move the game forward. Great individual contributions that allowed us to get the win. Deserve to be 1-1,” Williamson said after the match.
Speaking about the efforts of his bowlers, Williamson said that as a collective unit, they were brilliant and different people stepped up on different occasions.
“Our bowlers bowled really nicely in the UAE as well, but as a collective they got breakthroughs at key moments. Everybody will gain things personally and as a group our general growth is important,” Williamson further added.
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