Angelo Mathews played his last Test match at the Galle International Stadium sixteen years after his first. This marked the end of a red-ball career that had influenced Sri Lankan cricket for more than ten years. Mathews, a 38-year-old all-rounder and one of the most skilled Test batsmen in Sri Lanka's current lineup, declared his retirement from the format before the first Test against Bangladesh, which is now taking place. This inspired a sincere goodbye from supporters and fellow players.

Mathews received a guard of honour from his teammates as they entered the field on Day 1, a symbol of the great respect he holds in the Sri Lankan locker room.

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Mathews, who has played 118 Tests before to this game, concludes his career as Sri Lanka's third-highest run scorer in the format, trailing only the great Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. With 16 hundreds and 45 fifties or more, his total of 8,167 runs at a remarkable average of 44.62 speaks volumes about his durability and consistency. He is also one of just seven Sri Lankan players to have played in more than 100 Test matches, along with Dimuth Karunaratne, Sanath Jayasuriya, Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Sangakkara, and Mahela Jayawardene.

Mathews' Test legacy is defined by moments rather than just runs. He played a key role in one of Sri Lanka's biggest foreign victories, the 2014 Test series victory in England. He was frequently one of the most crucial batsmen in Sri Lanka's middle order because of his capacity to withstand pressure and play lengthy innings in difficult circumstances.

His retirement occurs as Sri Lanka starts their campaign in the newly established World Test Championship cycle, with Dhananjaya de Silva at the helm, aiming for early points at home. With South Africa winning the championship for the first time, the Test also signaled the start of the WTC cycle, with the finalizing of last week's editing. Temba Bavuma's squad claimed their first ICC trophy in 27 years by defeating Australia.

Under the leadership of Najmul Hossain Shanto, Bangladesh is attempting to ruin the farewell scenario with a solid performance of their own. However, irrespective of the outcome, the story at Galle will be about one of Sri Lanka's greats making his farewell appearance.

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