[WATCH] ‘You’ve been a true servant to your nation’ – Rohit Sharma’s heartfelt tribute ahead of Angelo Mathews’ farewell Test

Rohit Sharma has congratulated former Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews for an illustrious Test career as the Lankan great had decided to retiring from the longest format of the game after the ongoing Test between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh at Galle.

Rohit’s heartfelt video message was uploaded by Mathews on his Instagram story. In the 55-second video, Rohit touched upon how he enjoyed their faceoffs right from Under-19 cricket to the international arena. He also extended wishes to Mathews for having achieved feats not everyone have managed during their careers. Notably, Rohit himself retired from Test cricket in May earlier this year.

“Hey Angie, congratulations on your fantastic Test career. Tomorrow is your last Test match. I just want to wish you and the team the very best,” Rohit said. “Over the years we’ve had really good battles right from our Under-19 days till now. You’ve been a true servant to your nation and I’m pretty sure everyone back at home appreciates what you’ve done for your country. And it is something which has not been achieved by many people what you have achieved. So congratulations again on that. And moving forward, yes, I just want to wish you also and your family the very, very best. Happy retirement. Enjoy it. And we’ll see you on the other side, bro. All the best.”

The 38-year-old all-rounder has been a stalwart for Sri Lanka over the years. Currently playing in his 119th Test, Mathews has registered 8167 runs at an average of 44.62 (as of June 17).

One of the most memorable moments from his journey in Test cricket was his contribution in his Sri Lanka’s second-ever series triumph in England in 2014. Mathews was adjuded the Player of the Series for scoring 306 runs and taking four wickets in the two-Test series.

The Sri Lanka maestro is yet to retire from ODIs and T20Is. While there are a lot of doubts regarding his avaibility for the 2027 50-over World Cup, there are chances that he will be in action during next year’s T20 World Cup.

Speaking of their head-to-head record, Mathews has dismissed Rohit 10 times across formats while conceding 161 runs at an average of 16.1. Despite minimal head-to-head battles, the two have had quite a few noteworthy battles during India and Sri Lanka’s games.