Sri Lanka’s stand in captain Kumar Sangakkara, who helped his side draw the third Test against England with a magnificent hundred admitted the team’s biggest regret on the tour was losing the first Test in Cardiff. All five days of the summer’s opening Test last month had been affected by rain in the Welsh capital, including the entire morning session on the final day. Sri Lanka had to only survive a little over a session to draw the game, but they collapsed in stunning style to be bowled out for 82 runs inside 25 overs to lose by an innings and 14 runs.



"That is our biggest regret on this tour," Sangakkara told journalists after England won the series 1-0. "None of us were switched on to that situation unfortunately. We just needed to bat on for 25 to 30 overs and put on a proper partnership on a wicket that was much flatter than this one at Rose Bowl. It goes onto show that one or two mistakes magnify a situation that we should have been capable to handle nine times out of ten," Sangakkara added.



At Rose Bowl, after England declared their first innings on day four with a lead of 193 runs, Sri Lanka were precariously placed when Mahela Jayawardene was dismissed for six with the total on 110 for three with Sri Lanka still 83 runs behind.



Rangana Herath then came as the night-watchman ahead of Thilan Samaraweera and after seeing through the day without further dismissals denied England any success in the first hour on the final day.



"As a side it was very important for us to bat well towards the end of the day. The weather was always in question but at the same time we had to bat out of a situation we got into from the first innings."



It was also Sangakkara’s first Test hundred in England. The 33-year-old who was making his third Test tour to England had gone through eight Tests and had scored just two half-centuries averaging in the mid 20s. It was a poor reflection on a batsman who has a career average of 55 plus and had done well in Australia having scored three half-centuries and a 192 in just three Test Matches down under.



"To score a hundred in England is very satisfying. It would have been nice to have done it at Lord’s, but that’s something you have to get over. It’s nice to get there eventually," Sangakkara said.



Sangakkara was asked about his poor record in England before turning things around in possibly his last Test innings in England. "I just kept getting out. When I first came to England I was a bit at sea. I tried to make some adjustments. I was not getting anywhere with it. Second time around, I had two opportunities. One was at Lord’s and I got out to Monty Panesar after seeing off the likes of Andrew Flintoff. Coming here again after the IPL it was a case of adjusting not just technically but mentally and it took me a bit longer to do that. "



Sangakkara was involved in a 141 run stand with Samaraweera and strangely, the latter, axed from the Sri Lankan ODI side, was the more aggressive partner of the two batsmen. Samaraweera had struggled in the series to cope with the extra bounce, but played a crucial role in Sri Lanka drawing the final Test with an unbeaten 87. He was unfortunate to miss out on a hundred as the entire final session was washed out by rain.



"It would have been great for Thilan. He’s another player who would have looked forward to getting a hundred here in England. But that’s the way it goes. He batted well today and helped the side. Rangana Heath was excellent too. Lahiru Thirmanne showed exactly what he’s capable of. He showed a lot of character and a lot of courage and he seems to have a bright future ahead of him," Sangakkara further said.