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[Saba Sports News] Over the past two years, Sri Lanka has played just nine Tests, with none since March 2024. As they enter the England tour, they are at a disadvantage due to their limited red-ball game time, while England has already played 21 matches in the same period. Before the first Test at Manchester on August 21, Sri Lanka played a warm-up game against an inexperienced England Lions team, suffering a seven-wicket defeat.
Ahead of the series opener, Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva expressed frustration over the lack of warm-up matches leading up to the crucial series. In the warm-up, eight of the players expected to feature in the first Test were included, but the team was bowled out for just 139 on Day 1.
A small positive was debutant Milan Rathnayake, who took a wicket in each innings against the Lions.
“The conditions here are quite different from those in Asia. We wanted to play a few more matches, but this is what we got. We didn’t go with our full-strength team and tried out a few players. The result didn’t go our way, but I think we got the preparation we needed. It should help in the upcoming match,” De Silva shared.
When asked about not getting a second warm-up game, De Silva replied, “I have no idea. Maybe it’s because we’re playing a three-match series after a long time; that could be the reason.”
As captain, De Silva recently led Sri Lanka to a 3-0 whitewash over India in an ODI series. He made his debut during Sri Lanka’s last tour to England in 2016 and now bears added responsibility. However, he has experienced players like Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, and Dimuth Karunaratne to support him in the upcoming challenge.
Sri Lanka Playing XI for the first Test vs. England:
Dhananjaya De Silva (C), Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis (Vice Captain), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (WK), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Milan Rathnayake.