Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva gets emotional after rare Test win against England, says 'one of the happiest moment in my career'

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva was deeply moved after guiding his team to a remarkable Test victory over England at The Oval, describing it as one of the "happiest moments" of his career. The eight-wicket win marked Sri Lanka's first Test triumph on English soil in a decade, providing a consolation victory in the 2-1 series defeat.

"For now, there was no emotion in the team, but it's one of the happiest moments in my career," Dhananjaya said following the match. Reflecting on the challenging weeks before the game, he added, "We had a tough time in the last two weeks, and to come back here and get a win in English conditions against the England team is great. Taking 20 wickets was what I had been talking to the boys about, and they were up to it."

Dhananjaya also commended opener Pathum Nissanka, whose unbeaten 127 guided Sri Lanka to victory. "I wanted him in the team, but only 11 can play. The moment he came in, he proved he is the best batsman in Sri Lanka right now," the captain said. Nissanka's innings proved crucial, steering Sri Lanka's chase after England set a challenging target of 219.

Resuming on the fourth day at 94-1, Sri Lanka needed 125 more runs to secure victory. Nissanka and Angelo Mathews (32 not out) completed the chase effortlessly, achieving the target in just over two hours to finish on 219-2, thus securing an eight-wicket win.

This historic result was Sri Lanka's fourth Test victory in England in over four decades. Their last series win came ten years ago, and Dhananjaya was keen to highlight the significance of this moment for his team. "It is very special, winning in England," he said. "The boys were tough enough to handle the pressure and get into some scenarios. There was hard work put in by the bowlers and batters, and we were there in every match with positive points."