By CricketCountry Staff
Both England and Sri Lanka have lot to prove in the conventional format of the game and the two-match series will be a perfect opportunity of both the cricketing powerhouses to prove their mettle.
Published: Mar 26, 2012, 10:21 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 26, 2012, 10:21 AM (IST)
England players during a training session ahead of the first Test © Getty Images
By CricketCountry Staff
Galle: Mar 26, 2012
Both England and Sri Lanka have lot to prove in the conventional format of the game and the two-match series will be a perfect opportunity of both the cricketing powerhouses to prove their mettle.
Sri Lanka will follow Pakistan’s lead and confront England with spin when the two-Test series starts in the coastal town of Galle on Monday.
England, the world’s number one Test side, crashed to an embarrassing 3-0 series whitewash to Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in January and February.
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal caused the maximum damage with 24 wickets, while left-arm slow bowler Abdur Rehman took 19 as England struggled on the slow wickets in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Mahela Jayawardene, returning as Sri Lanka’s captain in a Test match for the first time since 2009, hopes his spinners will also inflict damage on the tourists in helpful conditions.
“We have an attack that can trouble the best on our wickets,” said Jayawardene, who replaced Tillakaratne Dilshan as skipper after the tour of South Africa earlier this year.
Teams:
Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene (c), Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Dinesh Chandimal, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Chanaka Welegedara.
England: Andrew Strauss (c), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Matt Prior (wk), Samit Patel, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Monty Panesar.
Catch live scores and ball-by-ball commentary of the first day’s play here
