Gooch, Gough impressed with BurnsJennings combination
Former captain Graham Gooch, one of the giants of the English game, spoke in glowing terms of his protégé Alastair Cook, "He was the rock of the batting for over 12 years".
When one door closes, another opens. His exit has forced the selectors to look around. They have come up with the Jennings-Burns combination. Kreaton had a good hundred in Galle. He was out to a soft shot in the second innings, here in Pallekele.
Burns has scored heaps of runs on the County circuit and deserves a spot. He has had two good knocks so far while Bairstow should be in the team. As to who goes out, I am not sure (with a shrug of the shoulders).
"England was the better side in all three departments down at Galle. A strong middle order served them well. This one at Pallekele has been an excellent Test match so far. (Speaking on the third afternoon). Since Sri Lanka will be batting last. I reckon that 250 will be a difficult target," Gooch said.
English fast-bowler Darren Gough said Sri Lanka had some brilliant cricketers such as Aravinda, Ranatunga (as captain), Jayasuriya, Atapattu, Jayawardene, Sangakkara, Dilshan and Vaas. "At the moment, they have only Mathews. But he's a bit short of that class. That's
Sri Lanka's issue," Gough who has taken 229 Test and 235 ODI wickets said.
"They have talented players. They might surprise in six months time. Sri Lanka has a tour of South Africa coming up. It's better to judge after that.
"The opening slot is an issue for England. Burns played beautifully, both here and at Galle".
England are playing some unbelievable One Day cricket. They've come close a couple of time. Barring something sensational, they should be in at the finish.
On a personal note, Gough pointed out that he was the Player of the Series on the 2001 tour that was led by Nasser Hussain.