Jayasuriya’s style adds intrigue to Sri Lanka’s series against England

For Sri Lanka, a first Test tour to England since 2016 represents a big opportunity, one the squad will undoubtedly approach with a mix of optimism and trepidation.

On the plus side, they have a perfect record since Dhananjaya de Silva assumed the captaincy, albeit three Tests against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, and Sanath Jayasuriya’s tenure as interim coach got off to an astonishing start with the shock one-day international series victory over India.

Sri Lanka’s first success against their neighbours for 27 years brought some feelgood factor back to the island’s cricket. Given the way Jayasuriya played the game, there is intrigue over how his presence will affect the red-ball squad. A good showing in England would increase calls for him to stay on as the long-term coach.

But those who have followed the team closely over the past 18 months will appreciate there are causes for concern. Sri Lanka have faltered when they have faced more established opposition, losing four out of four Tests against New Zealand and Pakistan in this period. They have not played outside Asia since March 2023 and there are questions over how the batters will cope with pace, especially Mark Wood’s thunderbolts. Packed houses will add pressure, too as in recent times they have grown accustomed to playing Tests in front of a handful of fans.

At least there is experience at the heart of their batting. Angelo Mathews (37), Dinesh Chandimal (34) and Dimuth Karunaratne (36) have all toured England twice with the Test team. The first two have struck hundreds, at Lord’s and Durham respectively, and Karunaratne will be desperate to add his name to an honours board. He has scored more runs than any other Test opener in the past five years, maintaining an average above 50 in that period. The next time Sri Lanka tour England, these three will all have their feet up.

At the other end of the spectrum are some exciting young batters. Pathum Nissanka (26) returns to the red-ball squad for the first time in two years. During his absence, he has become a cornerstone for Sri Lanka’s white-ball sides, their first ODI double-centurion and shown a remarkable capacity to continue growing his game. Kamindu Mendis (25) who is famous for his freakish ability to bowl with both hands has had a breakout year, scoring 365 runs in two Tests in Bangladesh. Sri Lanka’s top seven could feature six batters who average more than 40; Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis will see the tour as an opportunity to enhance their international reputations.

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There are more question about the bowling, with none of the attack having played a Test in England. The Fernandos – Vishwa and Asitha (no relation) – look certain to share the new ball and will have to shoulder a heavy workload and a great deal of responsibility. Both have had brief stints as overseas players in the County Championship: the skiddy left-armer Vishwa took nine wickets for Yorkshire in his last red‑ball outing.

Sri Lanka fans will hope Asitha can emerge as the breakout player. A big-hearted, broad-shouldered quick, he has fast become a spearhead for their pace attack and quietly announced himself as the island’s best red-ball seamer since Chaminda Vaas.

He has 45 Test wickets at 26.60, no mean feat considering three of his 14 Tests have come outside Asia. Toiling away on unfavourable tracks in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka has forced him to develop a varied arsenal: he has a sharp bouncer a dangerous yorker and can extract reverse swing. Plus, he has shown an ability to dismiss the best batters. If Sri Lanka are to spring a surprise in the series, Asitha may well hold the key.

The third-seamer spot is still up for grabs. At his best, Lahiru Kumara can act as an enforcer, bowling hard lengths at good pace, as England found out at the 2023 World Cup. But he has been short of top-level cricket in recent months and has a tendency to be wayward. Kasun Rajitha or Milan Rathnayake may be better suited to exploit swinging conditions. Rajitha bowls good balls but has never made himself an automatic pick while Rathnayake looks in good rhythm, but remains uncapped at this level. With the three Tests being played in 20 days, it is likely all three will feature at some point.

On tours gone by, Sri Lanka attacks have been headlined by spin and Prabath Jayasuriya has built an enviable record, bagging 71 scalps in 12 Tests. However, the majority of these have come on spin-friendly wickets. Whether he has the craft and variety to thrive on less receptive tracks remains to be seen. He will hope to benefit from England’s compulsive desire to attack and should the ball start to spin he could prove a real handful.

Perhaps the biggest stumbling block could be arriving at Old Trafford undercooked. Because of visa problems, the final members of the squad landed in the UK on Friday, five days before the start of the first Test. Likewise, the sole warm-up match game felt ominous. Sri Lanka were shot out for 139 in their first innings at Worcester by a callow England Lions attack, their batters looking hopelessly unequipped to deal with probing lengths and the moving ball. Unless they improve fast, it could be a very long series.

Nonetheless, the squad, and the island, are excited. “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 talent.”

The changing face of the global game has meant Sri Lanka increasingly focusing on limited-overs cricket in recent times. The country’s biggest names are white-ball specialists who have not made the trip. As such, this tour may have profound consequences. Competitive cricket could remind the world that the ­­five-day game needs countries outside the big three of India, Australia and England; a blowout would be another nail in the coffin for the global future of Tests.

Heading to Old Trafford, no one is quite sure what we will see. That, in itself, renders the prospect compelling.