At one point in the opening Test at Old Trafford, England were on course for a routine win. Not many gave Sri Lanka a chance when the series got underway. And on expected lines, the island nation were put under the pump after they conceded a lead of 122. By the time they could surpass it, they had already lost four wickets. However, they came up with an excellent comeback from thereon with both bat and ball to stretch England right till the end.
They would hope to draw some confidence from that finish at Old Trafford in their bid to pull one back. Kamindu Mendis was excellent once again as his stocks continued to rise. Debutant Milan Rathnayake was a surprise package as well. If senior players like Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews and Dimuth Karunaratne can chip in, the visitors can give a good account of themselves. Sri Lanka will also be happy with the fact that they won’t be facing Mark Wood after the pacer suffered an injury.
Sri Lanka’s history at this venue should provide some hope as well. They have not lost in over 20 years at Lord’s with all five encounters in this period ending in draws. Realistically, they wouldn’t mind a sixth one but a win would set up an interesting series decider. England on their part would hope for a better bowling performance after struggling for wickets at one point during Sri Lanka’s second innings at Old Trafford. Olly Stone has been named as Wood’s replacement and this game is a massive opportunity for the 30-year-old. His last Test appearance came three years ago and a good performance here would keep him in contention for England’s winter tours.
When:England vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test, August 29 – September 2, 11 AM local time,
Where:Lord’s, London
What to expect:Clear skies are expected during the course of the Test match. While Sri Lanka would hope for a drier surface, the fast bowlers had a great outing here last month when England hosted West Indies.
Team News
England:The hosts have confirmed their XI once again ahead of the game. The skipper would love some runs after the twin failures in Manchester.
Probable XI: Daniel Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir
Sri Lanka:The visitors have announced their XI as well, making two changes in the process. Kusal Mendis has been axed in favour of Pathum Nissanka, whose last Test was in 2022. Lahiru Kumara comes in place of Vishwa Fernando, who failed to make an impact in England’s run chase.
Probable XI: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kamindu Mendis, Milan Priyanath Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara
What they said:
“It’s obviously a fresh start. For me, it had a slightly different feel… it’s the first time you do it, almost like that debut feeling again.” – Ollie Pope on captaining England for the first time
