England’s first Test tour of Sri Lanka in 2016 is a huge opportunity and the team is sure to have a mixture of optimism and trepidation. On the bright side, despite missing three Tests against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Dhananjaya de Silva has enjoyed an excellent record since taking over as captain and Sanath Jayasuriya’s tenure as caretaker coach began with a stunning win. A one-week international series against India. Sri Lanka’s first win over their neighbors in 27 years had a positive impact on cricket in the island. Given the way Jayasuriya has played, there is curiosity about the impact his presence will have on the red-ball team. If he performs well in England, Sri Lankan fans will want him to coach long-term.
But anyone who has followed the team closely over the last 18 months will understand that there are reasons for concern. Sri Lanka faced consistent opposition and fell short, losing four out of four Tests against New Zealand and Pakistan during this period. They haven’t played outside of Asia since March 2023. In particular, there are questions about how the forwards will cope with the pace of Mark Wood’s lightning attack. A crowded gym is also stressful. Recently, Sri Lanka have developed a habit of playing Tests in front of small numbers of fans. Minimum experience with percussion instruments. Angelo Mathews, 37, Dinesh Chandimal, 34, and Dimuth Karunaratne, 36, have toured England twice with the Test team. Shocking first two hundreds at Lord’s and Durham respectively and Karunaratne will do whatever it takes to add his name to the roll of honour. He has scored more runs than any other Test opener in the last five years, averaging over 50 in that period. All three will be looking to step up when Sri Lanka next visit England.
At the other end of the spectrum are some exciting young forwards. Pathum Nissanka (26) returned to the team with the red ball for the first time in two years. During his absence, he became a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s white-ball team, becoming the island’s first ODI double centurion and showing a remarkable ability to further develop his game. 25-year-old Kamindu Mendis, known for his outstanding two-handed bowling skills, had a breakthrough year, scoring 365 runs in two Tests in Bangladesh. Sri Lanka’s top seven could include six batsmen who average more than 40 runs per match. Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis see the tournament as an opportunity to raise their international profile.
There are more question marks on the bowling front as the attack has never been tested in England. The Fernandos (Vishwa and Asita (no relation)) certainly seem to share the new credit and shoulder a lot of effort and responsibility. Both made brief appearances as overseas players in the County Championship. Vishwa, an impeccable left-armer, took nine wickets for Yorkshire in the last red-ball match. Sri Lankan fans are hoping that Asita will become the star of the series. A broad-shouldered, big-hearted fast bowler, he spearheaded the pace attack and established himself as the island’s best red bowler after Chaminda Vaas.
In the previous tournament, Sri Lanka’s attack was dominated by spin and Prabat Jayasuriya had an enviable record of 71 scalps in 12 Tests. But most of them have come on swing-friendly wickets. Whether he has the skills and versatility to succeed on a less-than-acceptable path remains to be seen. He will be hoping to capitalize on England’s forceful attack and once the ball is rolling, he could prove to be a punch indeed. Perhaps the biggest obstacle was that he arrived at Old Trafford unprepared. Due to visa issues, the final squad arrived in England on Friday, five days before the start of the first Test. The warm-up singles match was also poor. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 139 runs by an inexperienced Lions attack in the first innings at Worcester. The batting of the attack looked too weak to cope with the length of the probe and the moving ball. This could be a very long streak if you don’t catch up soon.
Despite this, team and island spirits are high. “Playing three Test matches in England is a great opportunity for us,” Jayasuriya said. “This series gives our players a platform to showcase their red ball talents.”Due to the changing face of the global game, Sri Lanka has recently put more emphasis on limited overs cricket. Not all of America’s biggest stars are unknown white-ball specialists. So this tournament could have a big impact. It could be a reminder to the world that competitive cricket deserves five-day matches in countries other than India, Australia and England. The explosion would be another nail in the coffin for the global future of testing. Who knows what we’ll see on the way to Old Trafford. That alone makes the future attractive.
