The Sri Lankan batters, resuming play overnight, failed to show resilience in the early morning and ended their innings at 265 runs.
In response, the visiting bowlers took advantage of the favorable conditions and dismissed the hosts for 156, setting a 219-run target.
As the day wore on, the English pacers struggled to take wickets, and Pope’s poor review decision only added to their frustration.
Nissanka, after a superb drive on the first ball of the fourth over, was beaten by Gus Atkinson’s good-length delivery while attempting another shot.
The ball, which had moved in and struck his pad, led Pope to call for a review after the on-field decision went in favor of the Sri Lankans.
— Gill Bill (@bill_gill76078) September 8, 2024
However, ball tracking showed the leg stump was clearly missing, and the Ultraedge confirmed the ball had hit the pad. With Pope having used up ten reviews in the series, the decision drew considerable debate on Twitter about his captaincy.