In a much-anticipated clash between Sri Lanka and England at Emirates Old Trafford, both teams finalized their XIs ahead of the match, with the notable inclusion of Milan Rathnayake for his Test debut. The toss proved crucial, as Sri Lanka won and opted to bat first, surprising England captain Ollie Pope.
Despite losing the toss, Pope expressed satisfaction with the outcome, as he was inclined to bowl first anyway. The pitch was described by Pope as “rock-hard”, offering potential assistance to his fast bowlers in the initial stages of the game. Sri Lanka’s decision to bat was backed by Dhananjaya de Silva, who was confident in his team’s readiness for the conditions.
“It looks dry, and the conditions are better than the last few days,” said de Silva at the toss. “We know the conditions, have seen it in the past also, so we are ready for it.” Pope, standing in for the injured Ben Stokes, acknowledged the honor of leading the Test side and assured that the team would maintain a proactive approach, similar to Stokes’ leadership style.
“It’s still his team,” Pope remarked. “It’s the same messages from a different voice.” With Stokes sidelined, England named Matthew Potts in the XI, marking his return to Test Cricket after a significant hiatus. Dan Lawrence also found a place in the team, taking on the opening role in the absence of Zak Crawley.
On the Sri Lankan side, de Silva revealed their XI during the pre-match press conference, introducing Milan Rathnayake for his maiden Test appearance. Prior to the commencement of play, both teams paid tribute to the late Graham Thorpe, with England sporting black armbands throughout the match in remembrance of the former player and mentor.
The stage is set for an enthralling battle between the two sides, with expectations running high for a fiercely contested Test match at Emirates Old Trafford. Stay tuned for all the action and updates as the game unfolds.
