Despite their five-wicket defeat in the opening game of the three-match Test series against England at Old Trafford, Sri Lanka showed a decent show with both bat and ball, especially in their second innings with the bat in hand. The pacers were excellent, while most of the batters looked in nick to bring a positive vibe to the camp.
Under their newly appointed red-ball captain, Dhananjaya de Silva, Sri Lanka struggled badly in their first innings after deciding to bat first on a good-looking batting strip in Manchester. The top and middle order failed badly, collecting only 113 runs on the board for the loss of seven wickets.
Debutant Milan Rathnayake contributed valuable runs in the lower order with his 72-run knock, decorated with six boundaries and a couple of sixes, besides spending a 63-run stand for the eighth wicket and another 50-runs for the nine-wicket to push their score over 230.
Sri Lanka leave Kushal Mendis and Vishwa Fernando for Lord’s Test
Their opening batter, Nishan Madushka, struggled badly in the first game with scores of 4 and 0, getting dismissed against Chris Woakes on both occasions. Dimuth Karunaratne showed some skills in the second innings with a 27-run knock at a strike rate of over 80. Both of them have retained their place for the Lord’s Test.
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However, the wicket-keeper batter, Kusal Mendis, who earned a fourth ball duck in the second innings, has been kicked out of the team. The 29-year-old has featured in 64 games for Sri Lanka in this format, managing 4136 runs at an average of 35.66, celebrating 18 half-centuries and nine centuries, and was supposed to be the future superstar of the team’s batting department.
In his place, they have brought in Pathum Nissanka, who has carried 537 runs in nine games at an average of nearly 40. The 26-year-old batter for Sri Lanka has shown good technique and mindset for them in the past and is expected to come up with a cracking performance in the game.
Veteran Angelo Matthews, who failed to judge the swing and seam movement of Chris Woakes in the first innings to bag a duck, displayed great resilience in their second innings for a 65-run knock, with the help of a couple of boundaries and one six.
Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis shared a vital 117-run stand for the seventh wicket, with the latter recording a fine knock of 113 runs, shouldering on 15 boundaries and one six with a strike rate of over 60.
In the bowling department, Asitha Fernando, who bowled with some exciting pace and rhythm, ended the Manchester game with six wickets and could prove to be an essential member for Sri Lanka at Lord’s. The management has dropped left-arm pacer Viswa Fernando to bring the expressive Lahiru Kumara to the side. The latter has collected 85 scalps in 28 games at an average of 37, with a best bowling of 6/122 in an innings.
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This is going to be the ninth Test at Lord’s for the Island, their joint-most at any venue after Harare. It has been 33 years since Sri Lanka lost a Test in London, despite not winning a single red-ball game at Lord’s. Their last red-ball game at this venue in 2016 too ended in the same manner, as they now look forward to making a comeback in the series and collecting vital points in the World Test Championship (WTC) ladder, where they stand at the fifth position.
Sri Lanka Playing XI For 2nd Test vs England At Lord’s
Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Pathum Nissanka, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (wicket-keeper), Dhananjaya De Silva (captain), Kamindu Mendis, Milan Rathnayake, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara.
