Test series poised to be a thriller
SRI LANKA VS ENGLAND FIRST TEST
Galle, Sri Lanka - If form in South Asian conditions is difficult to discern ahead of this series, with so little Test cricket having been played here in the past year, Sri Lanka are throwing predictions into further disarray with their wounded and their injury returnees.
A day out from the first Test, (there's still time to get injured), Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal look likely to be in the top order. But although batsman Oshada Fernando, and fast bowlers Suranga Lakmal and Lahiru Kumara have technically recovered from their injuries, they may not quite be matchready enough to make the XI.
Sri Lanka also lost both Tests against South Africa by large margins, so in normal circumstances you would expect them to be turning up low on morale.
And yet, they don't seem to be beating themselves up about those losses much. At the end of that series, captain Dimuth Karunaratne was essentially of the view that when you have the appalling volume of injuries Sri Lanka suffered on that tour, losses such as those were bound to happen. It is what it is. Tomorrow is a new day. This - their first at home since August 2019 - is a new series.
England, despite being tourists, have arguably had the better preparation leading up, though. They've been in the country for longer (Sri Lanka only arrived on January 8 from South Africa, England had come six days earlier).
But more than that, they are missing some of the players who propelled them to their 3-0 win in 2018. Ben Stokes is being rested. Adil Rashid wasn't picked in the squad. Moeen Ali was probably going to play, but contracted COVID-19 and can't. And despite being man of the series in that whitewash, Ben Foakes has been edged out of the wicketkeeper's spot by Jos Buttler.
So here are two deeply flawed and unpredictablesides, who are being served an extraordinary set of circumstances by this pandemic. England-Sri Lanka series have generally produced outstanding cricket this century (the past two series notwithstanding, perhaps). As there are no clear favourites here, there is no reason this one can't be a thriller too.
The buzz
Sri Lanka: Will the hosts play Kusal Mendis, who has collected three ducks in a row in South Africa? He is in a dead heat for the No. 3 spot with Lahiru Thirimanne. Sri Lanka hope Suranga Lakmal can make the XI, but if he doesn't Vishwa Fernando is likely to play.
England: They have some decisions to make on the bowling front. It seems as if they will go in with two frontline quicks, with Mark Wood and one of either James Anderson or Stuart Broad alongside allrounder Sam Curran. Batsman Dan Lawrence looks set for a debut.
In the spotlight
Angelo Mathews: He played the innings of his life against England (his 160 at Headingley), as well as another hundred and a handful of fifties, so he will almost certainly be the Sri Lanka batsman who commands the most respect among England's attack. Having trimmed down early last year, Mathews seems motivated to make what may be the last few years of his career productive ones. If he has a good series with the bat (he will not bowl), Sri Lanka will go a distance to winning it.
Jos Buttler: He only averages 33.93 with the bat, but it is his batting that is keeping Foakes (who by the way averages 41.50 but hasn't played a Test in almost two years) out of the XI. The theory is that Buttler, such an accomplished limited-overs batsman, and a man who can send a team innings soaring when the mood strikes, will see long-term improvements in his batting output eventually.
Teams (likely):
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis/Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dilruwan Perera, Lasith Embuldeniya, Suranga Lakmal/Vishwa Fernando.
England: Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root (capt), Dan Lawrence, Jos Buttler Sam Curran, Dom Bess, Jack Leach Mark Wood James Anderson/Stuart Broad.