ENG vs SL Match Analysis

Although England is the host nation and will be looking to win both the Test and the series handily, Sri Lanka starts this match in fourth place in the World Test Championship, while England is in seventh place! The tourists will not be deluded that playing England in England is extremely difficult, even though they have recently experienced impressive victories in this format.

With their sights set on the Ashes series in Australia in 2025–2026, the hosts are working hard to give spinner Shoaib Bashir and keeper-batter Jamie Smith exposure, which could present an opportunity for Sri Lanka. Ollie Pope, the vice-captain, will also get the opportunity to captain the team due to Ben Stokes’ injury, but he has very little experience leading a team in any capacity.

First-inning runs will be vital as always, and even in the absence of their customary captain, we anticipate England will carry on with their incredibly optimistic attitude toward Test cricket.

ENG vs SL Team Preview & Squads

England

It will be intriguing to watch how England approaches this first Test of the series without skipper Ben Stokes and regular opener Zak Crawley because this team does not like to look at things negatively. Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad haven’t shared the new ball for this club for less than a year, and the team on the field is noticeably inexperienced in comparison to previous years.

Nevertheless, Dan Lawrence just knows how to play cricket, and as he will probably attack the Sri Lankan bowlers in a similar way to Crawley, there won’t need to be a change in tempo from opener Ben Duckett’s usual fast-paced style. While keeper-battler Jamie Smith, who is playing in just his fourth Test match, and number-seven Chris Woakes suggest that England may have a very long tail, captain Ollie Pope and number-four Joe Root will aim to provide experience to the batting line-up.

Mark Wood is a fast bowler who can pose a threat to even the finest hitters in Sri Lanka. He was outstanding against the West Indies. For just his second Test since the summer of 2022, Matthew Potts is back in the starting lineup.

England Squads

England

Ollie Pope (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Gus Atkinson, Chris Woakes, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Mark Wood, Dan Lawrence, Shoaib Bashir

Sri Lanka

This will be Sri Lanka’s first Test match since they won their third straight in this format at the beginning of April, defeating Bangladesh by 192 runs. The squad appears to have a high degree of confidence as each of those three victories came by significant margins. Despite this, the backroom staff has changed, and the previous England coach Chris Silverwood is no longer with the team. Instead, the visitors have appointed former opener Sanath Jayasuriya as a temporary coach, who will benefit from former England Test batter Ian Bell’s local experience.

The batting lineup is loaded with experience, as players like Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne are predicted to open for Sri Lanka, followed by the well-known names of Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, who bat first before captain Dhananjaya de Silva. But even with that background, it might still be difficult to handle England’s voracious pace attack in swing bowling circumstances.

Prabath Jayasuriya, a 32-year-old left-arm spinner, will be trying to improve on his stellar start to Test cricket, having taken 71 wickets in just 12 matches.

Sri Lanka Squads

Sri Lanka

Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Kusal Mendis (wk), Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal. Prabath Jayasuriya, Kamindu Mendis, Vishwa Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Kumara, Pathum Nissanka, Asitha Fernando 

ENG vs SL outfield report

Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester

The first day of the match may prove to be ideal for batting, even though overhead conditions are predicted to favor the bowlers throughout. Consequently, it would come as a huge surprise if Dhananjaya de Silva, the captain of Sri Lanka, or Ollie Pope, the interim captain of England, were to bowl first in Manchester.

Manchester’s weather is notorious for being gloomy, chilly, and rainy, and the forecast suggests that this week at Old Trafford it may live up to its reputation. Over the last two days of the match, we anticipate spin to be a factor, whereas batting should be simplest during the first two days.

ENG vs SL Head-to-Head Stats of Last 5 Matches

The ENG won five games in their last five matches and SL won none. 

England vs Sri Lanka Prediction

Winning the toss

• England

Player of the Match

• England – Joe Root

Most runs

• England – Joe Root
• Sri Lanka – Dhananjaya de Silva

Most wickets

• England – Mark Wood
• Sri Lanka – Lahiru Kumara

Most sixes

• England – Ben Duckett
• Sri Lanka – Angelo Mathews

Team Scores Batting First

• England – 350+
• Sri Lanka – 280+

According to cricket analysts, England has an 80% chance of winning. 

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