Sri Lanka have arrived in England for a first Test series since 2016 and many observers predict it will end badly for Dhananjaya de Silva’s side ahead of the upcoming England v Sri Lanka three Test Series. Eight years ago, on the Islanders’ last visit, they were beaten 2-0 in a three-match series, while England have subsequently visited Sri Lanka for five Test matches since and won the lot.
Ben Stokes, the England captain, is a notable absentee through injury, Ollie Pope replacing him as skipper. But these are tough conditions and different pitches for Sri Lanka to master and history suggests they don’t do it well.
England v Sri Lanka: Captain Pope
England against Sri Lanka in English conditions looks close to a mismatchand that should be reflected in the scoreline. There are three Test matches, the first starting at Old Trafford on August 21st, with the next two matches at Lord’s and The Oval. The height of summer will have well and truly gone by the time of the third Test from September 6th-10th and there is always going to be the chance of some weather interruptions.
But England have demonstrated under head coach Brendon McCullum that they don’t need five days to hammer inferior teams, especially opponents not au fait with English conditions which is certainly the case with Sri Lanka. Earlier this summer England played West Indies and crushed them 3-0. Two of the matches were over inside three days, the other in four. England never need long and should expect to land another 3-0 clean sweep.
England v Sri Lanka: Root Runs Expected
Sri Lanka have brought a seam-heavy attack to England led by veterans Vishwa Fernando and Lahiru Kumara and that’s music to the ears of the home batters. Sometimes exposed by the very best spinners, facing a seam attack is England’s bread and butter and they should be able to pile up the runs.
Pope, Harry Brook and Ben Duckett will have their supporters to be top England runscorer though no one in this current set-up piles up runs better than Joe Root. There were questions being asked of Root, who was adapting to the new, gung-ho England set-up by getting himself out too often to rash strokes. It was very un-Root-like given how technically excellent the former captain is.
He is still taking more risks now having fully bought into the McCullum/Stokes style, but in the recent series against West Indies he smashed a ton and two half-centuries in just four knocks to finish as series top scorer with 291 runs. There is plenty of competition for top England scorer honours, but the openers can be swerved given they will often be facing the new ball in autumnal conditions where there will be swing available. And Root, seventh on the list of all-time Test runscorers, ticks every box.
England v Sri Lanka: Dangerous Jayasuriya
There are plenty of seamers in the Sri Lankan attack, but spin is their strength and Prabath Jaysuriya is their big weapon. It seems astonishing that the 32-year-old has only played 12 Tests, especially when you consider that in those matches he has taken 71 wickets, including seven five-wicket hauls.
Jayasuriya should top any shortlist for top Sri Lanka bowler and he’ll get plenty of overs. Their batting is likely to be exposed by the pace of Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson and the rest and it’s hard not to see England making light work of De Silva’s men.
By Adrian Mills
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