Sri Lanka and England are ready to clash in the second Test of the three-match series, starting in Kandy from Wednesday. The Three Lions have a 1-0 lead in the series, courtesy comprehensive 211-run win in Galle last week. In this game, the home side will go with at least one change after veteran left-arm spinner Rangana Herath retired from international cricket after the Galle Test. In the second Test, left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara is likely to get a place in the final eleven.
In the batting department, the team will be relying on veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews to do bulk of the scoring, but he will need some support from the likes of wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis, especially in the absence of regular captain Dinesh Chandimal, who injured his groin in the first match. In the bowling department, the focus will be on off-spinner Akila Dananjaya, who is reported for his suspected bowling action, but is still eligible for the second Test.
On the other hand, England will be going in the match full of confidence after an impressive performance in Galle. In the batting department, the team will be relying on in-form Joe Root, Keaton Jennings, Ben Foakes and Jos Buttler to score bulk of the runs, whereas in the bowling department, the onus will be on spin-trio of Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Jack Leach to provide important breakthroughs.
Pallekele Cricket Stadium is the venue which will be used for this match. The
Sri Lanka and England are ready to clash in the second Test of the three-match series, starting in Kandy from Wednesday. The Three Lions have a 1-0 lead in the series, courtesy comprehensive 211-run win in Galle last week. In this game, the home side will go with at least one change after veteran left-arm spinner Rangana Herath retired from international cricket after the Galle Test. In the second Test, left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara is likely to get a place in the final eleven.
In the batting department, the team will be relying on veteran all-rounder Angelo Mathews to do bulk of the scoring, but he will need some support from the likes of wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella, Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis, especially in the absence of regular captain Dinesh Chandimal, who injured his groin in the first match. In the bowling department, the focus will be on off-spinner Akila Dananjaya, who is reported for his suspected bowling action, but is still eligible for the second Test.
On the other hand, England will be going in the match full of confidence after an impressive performance in Galle. In the batting department, the team will be relying on in-form Joe Root, Keaton Jennings, Ben Foakes and Jos Buttler to score bulk of the runs, whereas in the bowling department, the onus will be on spin-trio of Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Jack Leach to provide important breakthroughs.
Pallekele Cricket Stadium is the venue which will be used for this match. The venue has a track which suit pacers traditionally, but this time around, it is expected to offer assistance to spinners. So far, there've been five matches played at the ground, where the highest individual score of 176 was scored by Mendis in the match against Australia in 2016, whereas the best bowling figures of 5-54 was registered by Herath.
Key Players:
Kusal Mendis – 9 Cr
First in the list of key players features Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis. The right-handed batsman has had a difficult outing in the first game where he scored 64 runs in both innings combined. However, going into the second match, Mendis, who is valued at 9 Cr, can prove to be a great purchase considering his record at the venue, where he averages 53.50. The 23-year-old also holds the record for the highest individual score of 176 at the venue, which he registered in the match against Australia two years back.
Moeen Ali – 9 Cr
Second in the list of key players features England all-rounder Moeen Ali. The 31-year-old had a great time in the series opener where he was the most successful bowler for the side with eight wickets. But his batting performance was not up to the mark which must be a cause of concern for the team management. However, valued at 9 Cr, Ali is the player to have in your team as he showed in Galle Test that when conditions are favourable, he is a very capable all-rounder.
Dilruwan Perera – 9 Cr
Last in the list features Sri Lanka's Dilruwan Perera. The 36-year-old had a great game in the series opener and was the home side's best bowler on show as he claimed seven wickets. Valued at 9 Cr, Perera might prove to be a good bet considering the conditions at the venue, which are bound to assist spinners.
