The Sri Lankan men’s cricket team is in England for a three-match Test series, which is set to commence with the first Test at Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday (August 21). This series will marks a crucial opportunity for both teams to move upwards in the points table of the ongoing cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).
Team dynamics: England and Sri Lanka
England will be without their regular captain, Ben Stokes who sustained a hamstring injury while playing in the Hundred, ruling him out of the Test series against Sri Lanka. In Stokes’ absence, Ollie Pope has been appointed as the stand-in captain, with Harry Brook stepping up as the vice-captain. Sri Lanka arrives in England with a well-rounded squad led by Dhananjaya de Silva. The team boasts a blend of experienced campaigners, such as Angelo Mathews and Dimuth Karunaratne, and emerging talents like Milan Rathnayake and Nisala Tharaka.
Test Stats and Records at the Old Trafford, Manchester:
Total Matches: 85
Matches won batting first: 32
Matches won bowling first: 16
Average 1st innings Score: 332
Average 2nd innings Score: 274
Average 3rd innings Score: 224
Average 4th innings Score: 168
Highest total recorded: 656/8 (255.5 Overs) by Australia vs England
Lowest total recorded: 58/10 (21.4 Overs) by India vs England
Highest score chased: 294/4 (88 Overs) by England vs New Zealand
Lowest score defended: 120/10 (49.4 Overs) by England vs Sri Lanka
Also READ: England’s Ben Stokes loses his temper at accusations of favouring The Hundred over county matches
Manchester Weather Forecast:
Manchester Weather Forecast (Image Source: X)
The 1st Test at Old Trafford between England and Sri Lanka will see a mix of conditions. Day 1 begins with partly cloudy skies and mild temperatures around 18°C, ensuring good playing conditions. Days 2 and 3 are expected to be cloudy with light showers, particularly on Thursday, which might disrupt play. Day 4 will bring more showers with temperatures dipping to 11°C, potentially causing interruptions. The final day will see a mix of sunshine and clouds, providing a better chance of uninterrupted play, with temperatures around 18°C.
Head to head record between England and Sri Lanka in Test cricket:
Matches Played: 18
England Wins: 8
Sri Lanka Wins: 3
Drawn Matches: 7
England’s Highest Total Against Sri Lanka: 575
England’s Lowest Total Against Sri Lanka: 81
Sri Lanka’s Highest Total Against England: 628
Sri Lanka’s Lowest Total Against England: 81
ENG vs SL, 1st Test: Playing XI:
England: Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook (vc), Jamie Smith (w), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir
Sri Lanka: Dhananjaya De Silva (C), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (VC), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis
Also READ: “Rob Key will be under pressure,”: Nasser Hussain rips apart ECB and broadcasters over Ben Stokes’ injury
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