Sri Lanka Eyeing Lord's Upset: Can They Repeat History at the Home of Cricket?
Can Sri Lanka continue their recent run of defying expectations and snatch a victory at Lord's, a venue where they've surprisingly never tasted defeat in six visits? While England emerged victorious in the first Test at Old Trafford, the visitors displayed a tenacity that suggests a more competitive series may be in store, especially under the anticipated sunny skies of London.
Sri Lanka's recent performance in Manchester was marked by improbable resilience. Despite facing a 100-run deficit, they pushed England hard with both bat and ball. Joe Root's anchored innings helped England secure a 205-run chase, but the contest was far from a walkover.
The match was also riddled with intriguing subplots. A questionable decision to bowl spin rather than pace in fading light on the first day gave Milan Rathnayake the opportunity to etch his name in the record books with the highest score by a No. 9 on Test debut. And a controversial ball change after 41 overs of Sri Lanka's second innings, which saw Angelo Mathews rediscovering his 2014 form and Kamindu Mendis on course for a third century in four Tests, added further intrigue.
While the ball change debate has been raised, it's undeniable that Sri Lanka's top order struggled to get going in the first Test. Dimuth Karunaratne, a stalwart with a Test average nearing 41, managed just 87 runs across two innings. However, the team's familiarity with English conditions, a more favorable forecast, and the recent resurgence of their lower order suggests history could be rewritten this week.
Sri Lanka's preparations for the Old Trafford Test were hampered by a low-key warm-up against the England Lions in Worcester. The experience in Manchester, however, will have served them well. With the sun predicted to be out throughout the match, a significant boost for the Sri Lankans, their confidence will be high as they strive to make a mark on the historic ground.
The upcoming series provides a rare opportunity for Sri Lanka, who have often been relegated to one-off Tests or early season encounters. This is their chance to prove themselves against a strong England side on their home turf.
Form guide:
England: WWWWL (last five Tests, most recent first)
Sri Lanka: LWWWL
In the spotlight:
Ollie Pope: The new England captain has enjoyed a successful start to his leadership role, but his batting form has been somewhat inconsistent. Despite a respectable 251 runs at 41.83 this summer, he has struggled to find consistency since his heroic innings in Hyderabad earlier this year. Pope's dual role as captain and batsman may limit his ability to fully address any technical or mental hurdles.
Asitha Fernando: Fernando was the star of the show at Old Trafford, delivering a captivating performance that showcased his ability to extract both conventional seam and swing, as well as a prodigious amount of reverse swing. The challenge for him now is to replicate this success at Lord's and The Oval. His relentless probing and seam movement have been likened to that of Pakistan's Mohammad Asif, a testament to his bowling prowess.
Team news:
England have made one enforced change to their XI. Mark Wood's thigh strain means Olly Stone, who has been in excellent form across formats this summer, is back in the Test fold after a two-year absence. He will be hoping to replicate the success he showed in his limited England appearances, where he has taken ten wickets at an impressive average of 19.40.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have opted to bring back Lahiru Kumara to add some extra pace to their attack, replacing Vishwa Fernando. They've also made changes in their batting order, with Pathum Nissanka returning to the top three and Kusal Mendis dropping out despite a decent performance in England's second innings.
Pitch and conditions:
With sunny weather expected, Lord's promises a fast, dry pitch. This could be advantageous for the batters, as evidenced by the numerous high scores in recent County Championship matches at the venue. However, Gus Atkinson's successful debut against West Indies in July suggests that England's bowlers could still make their mark.
Stats and trivia:
This will be Sri Lanka's ninth Test at Lord's since 1984, equalling Harare as their most visited overseas venue.
Sri Lanka has never won a Test at Lord's, but they rarely lose there either, with their most recent defeat coming in 1991.
Kamindu Mendis' average, despite his century at Old Trafford, has slipped slightly, dropping from 107.00 to 92.16.
Dimuth Karunaratne needs 72 more runs to reach 7000 Test runs.
Quotes:
"It's good we're getting pushed. Sri Lanka were impressive last week, especially the way they batted. When you come to England, you expect different conditions and the conditions weren't your classic English-style pitches but at the same time, for the guys to go and put together some good scores and set us a chase from a hundred deficit is a credit to them." - Ollie Pope, acknowledging Sri Lanka's challenge.
"Overall, Pathum is the best batter in the country at the moment. He has a good mindset and he has a good technique. If we can get him into the team, that's great. I have been talking about it for a while now. I think he will adjust to any format." - Dhananjaya de Silva, confident about Pathum Nissanka's abilities.
The second Test at Lord's promises to be a captivating encounter as Sri Lanka, fueled by their recent resurgence, seek to create history and upset the odds against a formidable England team.
