With the conclusion of the three-match Test series against England, ThePapare.com came up with some interesting ratings on the Sri Lanka team. Tell us if you agree and if you don’t present us with your own rating in the comments section below.

8/10

Nuwan Pradeep (10 wickets at 31.60)

By far the best bowler out of the lot for Sri Lanka, Pradeep maximized his pace and swing on a nagging line and length. He consistently troubled Alastair Cook from around-the-wicket but was very unfortunate to miss out on picking up his first-ever Test five-wicket haul. He would have definitely got there if the fielders behind the stumps and the umpire got things right during the 2nd innings at Lord’s. In the absence of Dhammika Prasad, Pradeep led his band of fast-bowling vigilantes commendably.

Nuwan Pradeep

Kaushal Silva

7/10

Kaushal Silva (193 runs at 32.16; 2 half-centuries)

After scoring 11,14 and 13 in the first three innings, Silva resurrected himself showing extreme grit and a change of attitude in covering the swing and seam extracted by Anderson and the gang in the second innings at Durham, where a patient 60 helped Sri Lanka set a platform for their best batting performance of the series. Weeks before the tour started, he was hospitalized after being hit in the back of his head but ended his tour as the Sri Lankan Man-of-the-Series.

7/10

Kusal Mendis (156 runs at 31.20; 1 half-century)

He was praised immensely by the cricketing pundits for his sound technique and temperament shown throughout the series. He fell for a second-ball duck in Headingley in the first innings but quickly got his act together in the second innings to stroke 8 boundaries in a classic knock of 53. He got a few good starts in the remaining innings but could not convert them into big ones. With a long-run slated ahead of him at No.3, Mendis will definitely be the one to watch out for in the future.

Kusal Mendis

7/10

Rangana Herath (7 wickets at 43.28; 109 runs at 21.80)

Playing his first series as a Test specialist, Herath almost got his name on the Lord’s honours board even though conditions weren’t ideal for spin bowling. The way he set up Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali in the 3rd Test was pure class but it was his batting that took center stage when he struck his 2nd Test half century in exquisite manner in Durham, taking the fight to the bowlers alongside Dinesh Chandimal. Even though the batsmen targeted him on the field, Herath showed some courage diving around with his troubled pair of knees.

7/10

Dinesh Chandimal (172 runs at 34.40; 6 dismissals)

The only centurion for Sri Lanka in the three-match series. The vice-captain was exceptional during his 124 in Durham which would surely go down in history as one of the best knocks ever by a number 6 batsman in a Sri Lanka vs England Test. He was rather casual early on in the series exposing his inability outside the off-stump as he failed to go past 20 in the other four innings. However Chandimal did make a few crucial errors behind the stumps throughout the series, which cost Sri Lanka immensely.

Dinesh Chandimal

Suranga Lakmal

6/10

Suranga Lakmal (5 wickets at 51.80)

The stats do not quite speak on how well Lakmal bowled in the two matches at Durham and Lord’s. His ability to swing the ball stood out from the other fast-bowlers as he consistently bowled at a testing fuller length and an off stump line. He took a few remarkable catches in the outfield which show the strides he has taken in improving as a cricketer.

5/10

Angelo Mathews (125 runs at 25.00; 1 wicket at 98.00)

Captain Marvel had a rather average series in the all-round scheme of things. He was guilty of some negative captaincy after having the English backed into difficult positions with the top-order failures, letting the pressure off the hosts with his tactics when Moeen Ali was batting with the tail at Durham, he had no attacking fielders to get the wicket while at Lord’s, Mathews made the same mistake to Chris Woakes and Jonny Bairstow. He made a brilliant 80 in the second innings at Durham but failed to repeat his 2014 heroics. He used himself sparingly with the ball but his canny seamers were handy at times to tidy the run-flow.

Angelo Mathews

5/10

Dimuth Karunarathne (129 runs at 25.80)

He was expected to score heavily throughout the series as one the more accomplished batsmen in the side but he was unable to last more than 4 overs in the first three innings before he finally picked himself up during the second innings in Durham. His performance was noteworthy at Lord’s as he scored a half-century in the first innings, putting on a 108-run opening stand with Kaushal Silva, and was on the way towards another half-ton when rain interrupted on day 5.

4/10

Shaminda Eranga (5 wickets at 64.80)

Before talking on his bowling, it must be said that his dropped chance of Bairstow at mid-wicket in Lord’s was a turning point in the game. He was a bit wayward whenever the Duke Ball lost its shine. After being reported for the first-time in his five-year international career, Eranga came up strongly in the second innings of the 3rd Test to pick up a three-wicket haul.

Shaminda Eranga

Lahiru Thirimanne

3/10

Lahiru Thirimanne (87 runs at 17.40)

Thirimanne might have played his last Test series for Sri Lanka, at least for the time being. He stood strong in the first three innings of the series when he was batting at No.6 facing the most number of balls even though he could not guide the tail alongside , but he was unable to make a lasting impression when he was slotted in at No.4 in the next two innings. His mind-set, which must be at the lowest point of his career, was reflected in the way he batted and he definitely needs to regain some confidence. A definite time out and a lot of domestic runs to build confidence would be the best course for him to come back and make it good.

One Test

7/10

Kusal Janith Perera (42 runs at 42.00)

Playing his first international game (After being cleared of doping charges) after a lapse of almost 6 months, KJP, as he is fondly known, showcased his excellent ability to strike the ball cleanly during his solid 42 at Lord’s. He is definitely the long-term option for Sri Lanka at No.7 in Tests.

Milinda Siriwardana

6/10

Milinda Siriwardena (35 runs at 17.50; 3 wickets at 24.00)

In comparison to the other players, Siriwardana has justified his selection rather well playing his first game in England. His ‘golden arm’ was a kind of a bonus for Sri Lanka. After being dismissed for 0 in the first innings at Durham, Siriwardana made an important 35 in the second innings and was involved in a critical 92-run stand for the 6th wicket with Chandimal. He will be missed in the ODI squad.

6/10

Dushmantha Chameera (3 wickets at 24.00)

Chameera’s extra pace was clearly missed in the last two Tests when Sri Lanka were unable to clean up the tail. He was bit errant in line and length at Headingley before he came back strongly to take 3 wickets, including the prized scalp of Bairstow, in the latter part of the innings.

Dushmantha Chameera

Dasun Shanaka

5/10

Dasun Shanaka (3 wickets at 15.33; 4 runs at 2.00)

He was picked solely for his ability as a batsman at No.7 but he was found wanting against the seaming delivery in both innings in Headingley where he only nicked it to the keeper. Shanaka’s exploits with the ball, minutes before the first lunch break of the series were stunning as bowled a fuller, more testing length than the other Sri Lanka quicks, and moved it enough to get 3 top-order scalps.