England will kick off their three-match Test series against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday, but will be without their talismanic captain Ben Stokes who is recovering from a hamstring injury. Ollie Pope will lead the side in his absence, with Harry Brook as his deputy.

England have opted for a pace-heavy attack, including four seamers and just one spinner, Shoaib Bashir. With Zak Crawley also sidelined due to injury, Dan Lawrence is set to open alongside Ben Duckett. The hosts will be looking to build on their recent Test series win over West Indies and climb the World Test Championship standings.

Sri Lanka, led by Dhananjaya de Silva, are coming off a 2-0 series win over Bangladesh. The visitors have made changes to their squad with Lahiru Udara and Chamika Gunasekara being dropped.

Sri Lanka tour of England 2024, 1st Test:

Start Date and Time: August 21: 10:00 am GMT/ 11:00 am local/ 03:30 pm IST
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester

Old Trafford Pitch Report:

The Old Trafford pitch is expected to offer seam bowlers significant assistance during the opening hour of each day’s play. However, similar to subcontinental conditions, the pitch is likely to become more batting-friendly as the match progresses. Batters who can negotiate the initial challenges are expected to score heavily, potentially leading to high-scoring encounters.

ENG vs SL Dream11 Prediction Picks:

Wicketkeeper: Ben Duckett, Kusal Mendis
Batters: Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, Pasun Nissanka
All-rounders: Angelo Mathews, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Kamindu Mendis
Bowlers: Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson

ENG vs SL Dream11 Prediction Captain and Vice-Captain:

Choice 1: Joe Root (c), Angelo Mathews (vc)
Choice 2: Harry Brook (c), Chris Woakes (vc)

Also READ: ENG vs SL – England names replacement for injured Ben Stokes, announces playing XI for the Manchester Test

ENG vs SL Dream11 Prediction Backups:

Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts

ENG vs SL Dream11 Team for today’s match (Aug 21, 10:00 am GMT):

ENG vs SL Dream11 Team for today’s match (PC: X)

Squads:

England: Ollie Pope (c), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook (vc), Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Sri Lanka: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (vc), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Nisala Tharaka, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake

Also READ: ENG vs SL, 1st Test – Old Trafford Pitch Report, Manchester Weather Forecast, Head to Head Record | England vs Sri Lanka 2024

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