Angelo Mathews, the legendary all-rounder, has announced his retirement following the present first Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at the Galle International Stadium. The visiting team batted first, and when the players took the pitch for Day 1 of the historic Test match, the Sri Lankan squad paid tribute to Mathews with a guard of honour.
Mathews’ teammates showed great thanks by recognising his vital services to Sri Lankan cricket in the red ball format since his debut in 2009. Notably, Mathews played his debut Test match against Pakistan at the same location, and nearly 16 years later, the 38-year-old will leave the prestigious format, where he also became one of the team’s most successful contributions.
Farewell, Angelo Mathews. pic.twitter.com/SYjfeqGMGw
— चिरकुट ज़िंदगी (@Chirayu_Jain26) June 17, 2025
In terms of the first Test, the Dhananjaya de Silva-led hosts will look to take advantage of the home advantage and earn critical points in the inaugural match of the new World Test Championship cycle. Bangladesh, led by ace batter Najmul Hossain Shanto, would look to improve their performance and open the series with a win.
Angelo Mathews’ Legacy in Test Cricket
Mathews began his Test career in 2009. He eventually became one of the world’s top Test cricketers. For more than 16 years, the veteran player served his country in Tests, eventually becoming one of their top athletes. The outstanding player played 118 Tests for his team (excluding the current one) and scored 8167 runs at an average of 44.62, including 16 hundreds and 45 fifty-plus scores. He is Sri Lanka’s third-highest Test run-scorer, trailing only Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
Mathews was instrumental in many of Sri Lanka’s most memorable Test cricket milestones, including a convincing Test series victory over England in their own territory in 2014. While he will not play the second Test of the series against Bangladesh, his performance in Galle will be the primary focus.
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