SL down Zimbabwe in Colombo classic

Niroshan Dickwella made a defiant 81 and Asela Gunaratne an unbeaten 80 as Sri Lanka achieved the fifth-highest run chase in Test history to down Zimbabwe on the final day of their one-off clash in Colombo on Tuesday.

Chasing 388 for victory, Sri Lanka reached the target six wickets down in the final session, Gunaratne (80no) and Dilruwan Perera (29no) producing an unbeaten stand of 67 to bring their team home at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

The hosts, who suffered a shock defeat in the preceding one-day series against the minnows, had to beat their highest-ever successful run chase, a total of 352 achieved 11 years earlier against South Africa, also in Colombo.

Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer, who took his match tally to nine wickets, got overnight batsman Kusal Mendis trudging back to the pavilion for 66 after Sri Lanka resumed the day on 3-170.

The Zimbabwe skipper had taken two wickets in the final session on day four and struck again with his leg-spin to have Angelo Mathews caught and bowled for 25.

Dickwella and Gunaratne then put on a 121-run stand to keep a persistent Zimbabwe bowling attack at bay for the rest of the morning session.

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Dickwella got lucky on 37 after wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva clipped the bails on Sikandar Raza's off-spin, sending the stumping decision to the third umpire.

Repeated replays showed the left-handed batsman had his toe on the crease – a case where the batsman should be given out, but India's Chettithody Shamshuddin let Dickwella stay, much to the dismay of the Zimbabwe dressing room.

After the break, Dickwella finally fell for 81, gloving Sean Williams' spin through to the wicketkeeper, however the controversial not-out stumping decision remained a major talking point even as Gunaratne and Perera took control to get Sri Lanka home. 

Highest successful run chases in Test cricket

West Indies 7-418 v Australia, April 2003

South Africa 4-418 v Australia, December 2008

India 4-406 v West Indies, April 1976

Australia 3-404 v England, July 1948

Sri Lanka 6-391 v Zimbabwe, July 2017