England vs Sri Lanka, Tests: All you need to know
England are gearing up to host Sri Lanka in a three-Test series, starting on August 21 at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester. The iconic Lord's and Kennington Oval, both in London, will host the second and third match, respectively. England would be confident, having thrashed West Indies 3-0 in the home Test series last month. Here are the key details about the series.
Key details about the venues
Old Trafford will host the opening Test from August 21 onwards. As per Cricbuzz, the average first-innings score here reads 332. August 29 will mark the start of the second game. Lord's will host the affair as 309 is the average first-innings score here. The final game will kick-start on September 6 at Kennington Oval (Average first-innings score: 343).
Maiden call-up for Jordan Cox
With Zak Crawley being unavailable due to injury, Dan Lawrence will open for England. Meanwhile, batter Jordan Cox has earned his maiden call-up. Pacer Olly Stone makes a return. England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
Sri Lanka include Vandersay
Nisala Tharaka and Milan Rathnayake are the two uncapped players in the SL squad. Leg-spinner Jeffrey Vandersay makes a comeback. Sri Lanka squad: Dhananjaya De Silva (c), Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis (vc), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Nisala Tharaka, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake.
Here's the head-to-head record
As per ESPNcricinfo, the head-to-head Test record between these two teams is 17-8 in England's favor (11 draws). At home, the Brits have eight wins and three defeats against the Lankans (7 draws). Notably, England last lost a Test against Sri Lanka in 2014, in Leeds. Since that defeat, the Englishmen have seven wins and two draws versus SL in Tests.
Their position in WTC standings
Following the 3-0 win over WI last month, England advanced to the sixth place with six wins and as many defeats (1 draw). The tally includes a PCT of 36.54%. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka hold the fourth position with a PCT of 50%. They own two wins and as many defeats. SL recorded a 2-0 series win over Bangladesh earlier this year.
Who are Sri Lanka's key performers?
As per ESPNcricinfo, Angelo Mathews owns two Test centuries in England as he averages 47.88 here. Dimuth Karunaratne has scored 1,445 Test runs since 2022 at 49.82. Dinesh Chandimal averages 63.10 in this period (1,262 runs). Pacer Lahiru Kumara averages 32.17 with the ball in away Tests. Jeffrey Vandersay recently claimed an ODI six-wicket haul against India.
Here are England's key performers
England opener Ben Duckett has scored 521 Test runs in 2024 at an average and strike rate of 37.21 and 88, respectively. Joe Root has a stellar average of 54.09 in home Tests. Moreover, he averages 58.88 against Sri Lanka. Gus Atkinson claimed 22 wickets at 16.23 in the WI Test series, which marked his debut. Chris Woakes averages 21.83 in home Tests (bowling).
A look at the approaching milestones
Prabath Jayasuriya needs a solitary scalp to complete 150 First-Class wickets. Chandimal needs just 21 runs to complete 5,500 Test runs. Karunaratne (6899) can get to 7,000 Test runs. Harry Brook (1,378) can go past 1,500 runs in the Test format. Woakes needs 112 runs to complete the double of 2,000 runs and 150 wickets in Tests.
