A thrilling conclusion to the third Test at the Oval was imminent thanks to Pathum Nissanka's outstanding fifty against England. Bad light on Sunday's third day forced an early conclusion to the match, leaving Sri Lanka at 94-1. They still needed 125 more runs to win 219 and snap England's seven-match losing streak in Test cricket. After a drive blasted off Chris Woakes' pad, Dimuth Karunaratne was caught and bowled for eight. 

However, fellow opener Nissanka, who scored 64 in the first innings of Sri Lanka, was 53 not out after reaching his second fifty of the game with a magnificent six-ball through the covers off of debutant left-arm quick Josh Hull's 42 balls faced. Meanwhile, the returned Kusal Mendis capitalised on many misplayed deliveries on route to an undefeated thirty that included twenty-four boundary runs.