Sports
England to Face Sri Lanka in Three-Match Test Series
England is set to begin a three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, live on Sky Sports. The first Test is scheduled to start on August 21, 2024, at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester.
England will compete without their captain Ben Stokes, who suffered a hamstring injury during The Hundred tournament. Ollie Pope will take over as captain for this series, with Harry Brook serving as his vice-captain.
In addition to Stokes, England will also be missing opener Zak Crawley due to a fractured finger. Dan Lawrence has been moved up to replace Crawley and will open the batting alongside Ben Duckett.
In response to the injuries and team adjustments, England has chosen to bolster their bowling lineup by recalling Durham seamer Matthew Potts instead of introducing uncapped player Jordan Cox. The batting order will see Jamie Smith batting at No 6, with Chris Woakes promoted to No 7.
The England XI for the first Test includes Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Mark Wood, and Shoaib Bashir. Former England captain Nasser Hussain expressed confidence in Pope’s capability, despite his inexperience in captaincy.
England enters this series on the back of a successful 3-0 series win against the West Indies, where fast bowler Gus Atkinson showcased impressive performance with 22 wickets across three matches. On the other hand, Sri Lanka arrives with momentum after recently securing a one-day international series victory against India.
Six players from Sri Lanka’s ODI squad, including Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis, have been included in the Test squad. Sri Lanka aims to improve its record against England, having last won a Test series against them in 2014.
The three-match Test series against Sri Lanka promises to be competitive, with both teams looking to secure victories. The first Test is broadcast live on Sky Sports, with the match commencing at 10 AM local time.
