England posted 429 in Rawalpindi and still walked off beaten, as Sri Lanka won a record-breaking thriller nobody saw coming.
Four hundred and twenty-nine runs usually ends the contest. In Rawalpindi, it wasn't enough. England put up a monster total, and Sri Lanka still found a way to beat it in a record-breaking thriller.
England's batters did everything a side could ask, hammering the ball around the ground and stacking up a score that would win most matches before the second innings began. Instead, the total became part of a wider story, one of the most extraordinary results cricket has produced.
Sri Lanka refused to be intimidated by the target. Their reply was fearless, and the pressure shifted back onto England's bowlers and fielders, who could not close out a game that looked well within their control.
For England, it is a painful lesson that even a mountain of runs offers no guarantee. For Sri Lanka, it is a result that will be talked about for years. Expect the debate over England's bowling plans and game management to run long after the final ball.
