England vs Sri Lanka 1st Test: Top Moments from Day 1

The first day of the Test match between England and Sri Lanka at Emirates Old Trafford delivered a dramatic and eventful session of cricket, leaving England in a strong position and Sri Lanka with much to ponder.

Sri Lanka’s choice to bat first under the leadership of Dimuth Karunaratne appeared promising at the outset but soon unraveled. The day began with a rapid collapse of Sri Lanka’s top order, as they were left struggling at 6 for 3 within just seven overs. This precarious position came about after a dramatic ten-ball spell that saw three wickets tumble in quick succession.

Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes led England’s charge with a masterclass in pace and guile. Atkinson struck first, rattling Dimuth Karunaratne with a snorter that sent him packing. Woakes then stepped up, luring Nishan Madushka into a trap with a perfect outswinger, gobbled up by Joe Root at slip. Angelo Mathews didn’t even get a chance to settle, falling victim to an inducker that sent him back for a duck—another day, another batting order dismantled!

Sri Lanka’s innings seemed doomed to an early end, but Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal managed to show some resilience. Their aggressive approach saw them score the first five boundaries of the innings within 12 balls. Mendis particularly capitalized on Matthew Potts’ loose deliveries, striking four boundaries. Despite their efforts, a quick dismissal of Kusal Mendis by Mark Wood, who bowled a fiery short delivery, saw him leave the field nursing a bruised thumb.

As lunch approached, Sri Lanka’s innings took a further blow when Chandimal was dismissed in an unfortunate manner. Shoaib Bashir’s delivery cut back sharply and removed Chandimal in a manner reminiscent of Nasser Hussain’s famous dismissal against Carl Hooper in 1998.

Sri Lanka’s innings looked to be floundering, but Dhananjaya de Silva’s gutsy 74 off 84 balls and Milan Rathnayake’s debutant innings of 72 from 135 balls brought a semblance of respectability to the total. De Silva’s innings was characterized by sharp footwork and a well-timed array of boundaries, while Rathnayake’s composed innings, which included a career-high score, displayed his potential. Rathnayake’s knock was particularly notable for being the highest by a debutant at No. 9 in Test history.

As the shadows lengthened and England’s bowlers tightened the noose, Rathnayake’s late heroics couldn’t prevent Sri Lanka from folding for 236. Under the pressure of England’s relentless attack and the tricky twilight, the Lankans were spun out, leaving them to ponder what might have been.

England’s openers, Duckett and Lawrence, strode out with purpose, notching up 22 without a hitch by stumps. On a pitch set to play fair, their cautious yet confident start hinted at a promising run spree ahead.

England’s Day 1 strategy proved fruitful, leaving Sri Lanka’s score in the underwhelming section and starting their innings with a flourish. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s task is to hit the reset button and conjure up a comeback worthy of a grand cricketing sequel.

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