SL Vs Eng: England Set To Recall Jonny Bairstow As Angelo Mathews Returns For Series Opener

Sri Lanka and England바카라 웹사이트both have plenty to ponder over team selection as they prepare to finally face each other in Test action바카라 웹사이트again. (More Cricket News)

The nations바카라 웹사이트were due to meet in March 2020, only for their two-match series to be postponed바카라 웹사이트amid the escalating coronavirus pandemic. England were바카라 웹사이트playing a tour game in Colombo at the time when the decision was taken to cut short the trip and head바카라 웹사이트home.바카라 웹사이트

They have returned 10 months later for a rearranged tour, with the ongoing COVID-19 situation seeing them hosted in바카라 웹사이트a bio-secure bubble for both바카라 웹사이트games in Galle.바카라 웹사이트

However, Moeen Ali will miss the first Test – and possibly the next one that follows바카라 웹사이트– after a positive test result upon바카라 웹사이트arrival.바카라 웹사이트Chris바카라 웹사이트Woakes바카라 웹사이트had to self-isolate바카라 웹사이트having been considered바카라 웹사이트a close contact,바카라 웹사이트so바카라 웹사이트missed out on England's only warm-up game.바카라 웹사이트

Moeen was바카라 웹사이트joint-leading wicket-taker with fellow spinner Jack Leach - taking 18 wickets apiece - when England swept the hosts 3-0 on바카라 웹사이트spin-friendly pitches when visiting바카라 웹사이트Sri Lanka in late 2018, though captain바카라 웹사이트Joe Root is aware the surfaces may not be the same now.

"We are very aware that the conditions might be very different to the last time we played here," Root told the media.

"We are not going to have too many preconceived ideas about what we are going to come up against. It's quite dangerous and lazy to walk into a series like that."바카라 웹사이트

The tourists are without바카라 웹사이트Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes – who are both rested with a long tour to India to follow immediately afterwards바카라 웹사이트– while opening batsman Rory Burns바카라 웹사이트has remained in England for the birth of his first child.바카라 웹사이트

As for the hosts, a recent 2-0 Test series defeat in South Africa came at a cost in terms of injuries.바카라 웹사이트Dhananjaya de Silva and바카라 웹사이트Kasun Rajitha are both sidelined, plus바카라 웹사이트Oshada바카라 웹사이트Fernando바카라 웹사이트has had no match바카라 웹사이트practice after a spell out of action.바카라 웹사이트

However, there is good news over the fitness of batsman Dinesh Chandimal – who missed the second Test against the Proteas – and seamer Suranga Lakmal,바카라 웹사이트plus former captain Angelo Mathews is back바카라 웹사이트as Sri Lanka aim for a first바카라 웹사이트Test win over their opponents바카라 웹사이트since a famous triumph at바카라 웹사이트Headingley바카라 웹사이트in 2014.바카라 웹사이트

JONNY BE GOOD AGAIN?

With holes to fill in the batting order due to key absences, England are set to hand a debut to Dan Lawrence and recall바카라 웹사이트Jonny Bairstow, who appears to be the choice to bat at number three with Zak Crawley moving up to open.

Bairstow made a century at that position in the previous Test against Sri Lanka, the third time in four first-innings knocks he has reached three figures against them. However, he has not played in the format since 2019, having lost his place after averaging바카라 웹사이트18.6 in 19 innings바카라 웹사이트during that바카라 웹사이트year.

Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes played a starring role바카라 웹사이트for England in Sri Lanka last time, averaging바카라 웹사이트69.25 with the bat, but looks set to miss out on the final XI.

LEADING FROM THE FRONT

Captain Dimuth Karunaratne's바카라 웹사이트century in the second Test against South Africa was one of few positives for Sri Lanka in a 10-wicket defeat in바카라 웹사이트Johannesburg to start the new year.

The opening batsman바카라 웹사이트has averaged 66 on home soil바카라 웹사이트in Tests since 2018 (14 innings), though none of his 10 career hundreds have come against England.바카라 웹사이트

Having Mathews back should ease some of the run-scoring burden, too. The 33-year-old may not contribute much with the ball these days but does average바카라 웹사이트45.31 with the bat in Tests. He will go into the opening game needing just 19 more runs to reach 6,000 in the format.

KEY OPTA FACTS

- England have won their previous바카라 웹사이트two bilateral Test series against Sri Lanka; they are attempting to record three successive victories against them for the first time.
- Sri Lanka come into the series having only mustered one win in their past seven Test matches (D2 L4); they have just suffered a 2-0 series defeat against the Proteas, losing the opener by an innings margin before slumping to a 10-wicket loss in the second match of the series in South Africa.
- The hosts have only lost once in five Test matches against England at Galle International Stadium (W2 D2). However, the most recent meeting between the sides at the venue was won by the tourists.
- Sri Lanka have managed to get the umpire's decision overturned in 23 per cent of their referrals in Tests since the start of 2019. Only Australia (22 per cent) have a lower rate; England's record stands at 31 per cent across that period.
- Despite making his Test debut in Sri Lanka over 13 years ago, Stuart Broad has only played three Test matches in the country. He has picked up three wickets there (averaging 83), but is바카라 웹사이트six scalps away from going above Courtney Walsh (519) and into sixth in the list of all-time leading바카라 웹사이트Test wicket-takers.