Published: Aug 20, 2024, 10:22 AM (IST)
Edited: Aug 20, 2024, 10:22 AM (IST)
Sanath Jayasuriya, the interim Sri Lanka men’s head coach, believes that the upcoming Test series against England is a great opportunity for his team is as according to him, the conditions will suit the visitors.
“The fact that we have got a late-summer tour is great, because the wickets have been used a lot, and there’s more sunshine at this time of year. It’s more similar to our conditions than the early summer tours. I have made sure the players know it’s a great opportunity,” Jayasuriya told ESPNCricinfo.
“I want to make sure there is that hunger. Playing 3 Tests like this is not an opportunity you will get easily again. So we have to take it while we can. Scoring runs here is challenging, because even if the pitches are flat, the ball can still start swinging, or seaming. We have to know how to adjust to that,” Jayasuriya added.
“We have the personnel there, but we need to fight hard. If you play six or seven batters, only two or three will perform for sure. If they get a start they need to play big innings. They know they have that responsibility on challenging wickets,” Jayasuriya further added.
Jayasuriya was quite successful while playing Tests against England at their home as in his 6 Tests in England, Jayasuriya scored a total of 421 runs at an average of 42.1, with his best knock being 213 coming at the Oval in 1998.
Sri Lanka is currently placed fourth on the World Test Championships standings, with a point percentage of 50% while England are in seventh place with 36.54%.
