COLOMBO: (ePRESS) – Sri Lanka will begin their three-Test series against England at Old Trafford in Manchester from August 21 to 25. Before the series starts, Sri Lanka will play a four-day warm-up match from August 14 to 17.
The second Test will be held at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London from August 29 to September 2, and the final Test will take place at the Kia Oval, London from September 6 to 10.
England is currently ranked third in the ICC Test Championship, while Sri Lanka is seventh. Australia and India are the top two teams.
England’s 14-member Test squad is led by all-rounder Ben Stokes. The team features top batsmen Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, and all-rounder Chris Woakes. The bowling attack includes pacemen Mark Wood, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir, Matthew Potts, and Gus Atkinson. Wicket-keepers Jordan Cox and Jamie Smith are also part of the squad.
Sri Lanka last toured England in the 2020/21 season, where England won the series 2-0. Sri Lanka’s only Test series win in England came in 2014 under captain Angelo Mathews and coach Marvan Atapattu.
Since 1981, England and Sri Lanka have played 36 Test matches. England has won 17, Sri Lanka has won 8, and 11 matches have ended in a draw.
Sri Lanka Cricket has not yet announced the final squad for the Test team. The selection committee is expected to reveal the team soon.
Meanwhile, seven Test specialists from Sri Lanka have already left for England. These include Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva, former captains Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal and experienced batsman Angelo Mathews, and fast bowlers Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha, along with main spinner Prabath Jayasuriya. The rest of the team is expected to depart on August 11.
