A glimmer of hope opposes the defeat of Sri Lanka through the ages

They had to wait until the end of the series before having something to applaud.

English fans far outnumbered their Sri Lankan counterparts on this tour. But do not be fooled into thinking that this is purely economic. Admittedly, the volume and enthusiasm of the travel rack have increased ticket prices. But if you are local, you can find one for a sufficient face value. This is not a question of expense.

This series, fans of Sri Lanka voted with their feet. And that did not necessarily have to do with the players. There is a fanaticism around gambling in the country but, in most cases, self-awareness and sense of humor are the main mechanisms of adaptation.

Midway through the game in Colombo, the news came from a total upheaval of the national selection committee. A local reporter laughingly explained that this was not surprising: "Ah, it's a full moon."

Head coach Chandika Hathurusingha asked where the information came from. "Someone on the board told me." Hathurusingha laughed. Not because the reporter lied about where he got his information. But because he had no qualms about revealing where his source was. These are not normal times.

But an hour before tea on the fourth day, Sri Lankan supporters regained their voice and a minimum of confidence. As the end of the third test came to an end, these wails and crooked jokes were replaced by real cheers and a hint of hope.

England was not supposed to come to Sri Lanka and win. But local people do not have any illusions about the need for tourists to do as in their previous tours and finally to refuel to succeed. Things did not go as planned.

All in all, those who could be counted on have passed. Dimuth Karunaratne has scored the highest number of Sri Lankan races in the series. The 22 gates of Dilruwan Perera were the best performers of both teams. Angelo Mathews lost some weight and took a grudge against Hathurusingha to feed a decent series with the bat.

Roshen Silva is assured his place for the winter. Kusal Mendis seems to have regained his touch, meaning for those who watch this soap for a while that he has lost it in a few months.

The problems, however, are still as they were. A first match is necessary and it is probably not Danushka Gunathilaka. Concentration problems remain in the middle and on the ground.

Despite 12 scores of fifty or more shared between five players, none has converted theirs into a hundred. England, by contrast, had four different centurions.

Their collective judgment is still amateurish as well. Twice, Mathews offered catches to midwicket when it was clear that England would try to bounce it. The configuration was so obvious that Joe Root could as well have sent him an email the week before. Again, Mathews would probably have just deleted it. On the last day, Mendis's departure, while Jack Leach had worked brilliantly, was simply useless when Sri Lanka headed for the coast.

Despite the loss of Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka also seems to be worse on the ground. And the magazine … my days. Niroshan Dickwella has a lot of talent, but giving him a say in the DRS is as wise as asking a prisoner if he could handle the keys to his cell.

Yet at tea time on the fourth day, before the last session of the tour, there was hope. The series was already lost, but suddenly, the victory was at hand, even if it was still distant. There were 43 points to get, but there was only one wicket left.

When Malinda Pushpakumara and Suranga Lakmal met to form the last pair, the demand was 101. Yet they were about to become the most unlikely duo of peanut butter and jam.

The main architect was Pushpakumara. He shares the build and agility of Herath, but certainly not the talent of bowling. This is not a criticism of him: few of them could replace the 433 test windows.

But for an hour, he was a hero. He charged and struck Jack Leach on the ground for six hours after hitting the same thrower for two consecutive legs. He dropped down trying to find the sponge at midwicket. Each border has been greeted by moans and a flag of Sri Lanka. Even the slaps in the leg were hailed as war heroes returning home.

Such was his efficiency, Root turned to Stuart Broad. Immediately, a balloon was dug. Pushpakumara is immersed in it. He was down. But not outside: kneel before recovering as the physio of Sri Lanka managed to find its way in the middle.

Unsurprisingly, more bouncers followed. He disengaged twice and finished shooting just behind one in defense. He was the hero Sri Lanka did not deserve. And probably not one they needed now. But a timely reminder that a little application could go very far. Even him, a player with an average of 14 first-class batting who is so unsure of his place in the camp that he asks for photos at the local snappers at the end of each day's play, just in case this would be his last match, can bear for his team.

Of course, there are no fairy tales in real life. Four balls after tea break, Lakmal said that LBW and England had won by 42 to complete the 3-0 loss.

Sri Lanka is waiting for long months, with trials against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. If there are crumbs of comfort that they can draw from this home defeat, it's good that there have been passages throughout the series where they forced England to be great.

Now, they need to know how they can rise to these same levels. Otherwise, they risk losing the little support they have now. Even gallows humor can start to run out.

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