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We are now back to our regularly scheduled programming. Following a fortnight of vibrant, bustling activities in the Hundred, England’s cricket team returns to Test duty with a three-match series against Sri Lanka. One might debate which is the bigger issue, of course. Even while test cricket is still the primary source of income in this region, the ECB’s aspirations for a significant revenue infusion through its prestigious white-ball competition and the longest format’s low-key summer make the runes less obvious than usual.
Compared to West Indies, who were easily defeated 3-0 in just ten days of cricket last month, can Sri Lanka, whose last Test match outside the subcontinent was played nearly eighteen months ago, offer a more competitive match? Should their competitiveness—or lack thereof—be interpreted as an indicator of the state of Test cricket overall? Is England’s reconstructed Test team more vulnerable than they might have been without Ben Stokes, who tore his hamstring during his first appearance in the Hundred since 2021?
There isn’t much concrete data to suggest that Sri Lanka will surprise everyone. They’ve won all three of their Test matches this year, and they presently top England in the World Test Championship standings. However, their most recent match took place in Bangladesh in March. They were swept out for 139 in the first innings of their lone tour match before to Old Trafford against an inexperienced England Lions team.
You may be left expecting the worse when you consider that Sri Lanka has lost seven of their past eight Test matches against England.
The hitters’ ability to score runs will probably be crucial to their prospects of competing. Interim head coach of Sri Lanka, Sanath Jayasuriya (a Bazballer before the name was coined), has experience coaching in England and can rely on the knowledge of Ian Bell, the former England batsman brought in as batting coach.
The team has many of seam alternatives, since both Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando have county experience. However, since Prabath Jayasuriya’s debut in 2022, only two spinners, Nathan Lyon and R Ashwin, have claimed more wickets than the slow left-armer.
The fact that they suddenly face an England team that is remarkably different in appearance works to their advantage. Due to Stokes’ injury and Zak Crawley’s fractured finger sustained during the third West Indies Test three weeks ago, England’s starting eleven at Old Trafford will include Dan Lawrence, who will be playing in his first Test match, as well as an unproven captain in Ollie Pope, who has only played in a few England warm-ups and games for Surrey.
This might not be such an easy task, given the sudden disruption and the fact that England has also called up Olly Stone after Dillon Pennington injured himself in the Hundred. That is especially true if Sri Lanka, who have won all six of their London Test matches dating back to 1998, can come out of this week unscathed. For some, it is a reason to celebrate just getting the chance to play in a three-Test series in England during the hottest part of July. Just don’t claim that the outcome will determine the format’s future.