Hosts England continues to dominate at home series, they registered a comprehensive victory over Sri Lanka and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match test series. England played exceptionally well even in the absence of their skipper & scintillating all-rounder Ben Stokes who is sidelined with a hamstring injury.
England didn’t play bazball pattern and for the very first time since Ben Stokes’s absence England played test cricket like old school, or else that pattern was troubling them past many series.
Naseer Hussain lauds the England team
England won the match by chasing 205 runs against Sri Lanka in the 4th innings, Joe Root played a huge role in this he scored a brilliant half-century. Under the captaincy of Ollie Pope, it was a great start for the team, though Ollie Pope couldn’t make the day happen with the bat in both innings he scored 8 runs. Still, his captaincy was a success in the very first test, now teams will be heading to Lords, and that game will bit tricky compared to the Manchester test. Former England skipper Naseer Hussain lauds the England team and also said that thankfully didn’t use the baseball pattern. Naseer Hussain said:
“England are not binning Bazball, far from it,” Hussain said. “They have got Jamie Smith and Harry Brook, who are going to be in this Test side for a long time, who will belt it for years to come.
“It is just about being a bit smarter when you are in those positions where it could go either way. In those key moments where we have lost another wicket, where we look to sit in, and then we will go again.”
“Joe Root could have played that in so many different ways in the run-chase but he saw there was no [Ben] Stokes after him, he saw there was a slightly longer tail, and a pitch that was suiting Sri Lanka, so he just said ‘I have to be here at the end,'” Hussain added.
“It is going to be a tricky one for England heading to Lord’s,” Hussain said. “They have an abundance of seamers but not fit ones because there are a lot of injuries right now. If you think Stone will come in for Mark Wood, that will be a straight swap.
“Chris Woakes is a fabulous cricketer and a magnificent cricketer at Lord’s – his record there with bat and ball is phenomenal – but, physically, he was struggling with his groin or something on day four at Old Trafford.”
Will England seal the series at Lords or is there any twist coming from Sri Lanka? It will be more intensifying from August 29.