3 things Sri Lanka need to do right to bounce back on Day 2 of 1st Test vs England
Sri Lanka had a testing first day on English shores after being bowled out for 236 after electing to bat first. However, the fact that the visitors were able to stretch well beyond the 200-run mark after multiple collapses is commendable.
Now that they are done with the bat for the time being, the side have to focus on countering Bazball for the very first time. Although the England side lack big names like Ben Stokes and Zak Crawly, they are still a massive threat and will not buckle down.
The Sri Lankan bowling attack needs to have a say in the proceedings on what could be the most important day for them in the Test. If they manage to contain England within reach, they will be in the contest for the latter half. On the other hand, if they lack potency and let the hosts run away with it with the bat, then Sri Lanka will be always lagging behind in the match.
With a new-look bowling attack, a not-so-flat surface, and the way the game has been set after the first day, the following act should be equally enthralling. On that note, let us take a look at three things Sri Lanka needs to do right to bounce back on Day 2 of the 1st Test against England.
#1 Unleash the pacers
Sri Lanka only had a handful of overs to bowl on Day 1 and it was bowled entirely by spinners before bad light called the play off entirely. The new opening pair of Ben Duckett and Dan Lawrence negotiated the final moments with ease but Sri Lanka will not make it easy on Day 2.
The onus will be on the relatively inexperienced seam bowling attack to make the new ball talk like England did in the first innings. The four-pronged English seam attack had pinned Sri Lanka on the ropes from the word go and the resulting building pressure led to them being reduced to 6-3.
What Sri Lanka lacks in potency and prowess, they make up for in versatility. They have a left-arm pacer in Binura Fernando while the tall Milan Rathnayake will hope to get something off the surface. Asitha Fernando is someone capable of bowling long spells with the energy he possesses and had made an impression in the 2024 Asia Cup recently.
Manchester has witnessed rain in the gap between the two days' play and if there is heavy overcast cover when the teams take the field then it augurs well for the pace trio.
#2 Utilize the inconsistent bounce
In the first session of Day 1, Dimuth Karunaratne was dismissed off a short delivery by Gus Atkinson and was surprised by how the delivery took off the pitch upon contact.
Only 17 overs later, Dinesh Chandimal was trapped LBW by Shoaib Bashir after the good length delivery bounced drastically low to hit his ankles as if on a day five dustbowl in the subcontinent.
Although not many deliveries have behaved erratically after pitching to strike fear into the batters' hearts, it is enough for the bowlers to capitalize on when it eventually happens. If Prabath Jayasuriya can hit such areas susceptible to uneven bounce, then he could make the batters uncomfortable for sure.
There have been claims that the surface in Old Trafford is a tired one after being in use continuously for the Vitality T20 Blast and The Hundred 2024 for Lancashire and the Manchester Originals, respectively.
If the surface deteriorates rapidly, it brings Sri Lanka into the contest, in the short-term as well as long-term because they will get to bowl last.
#3 Try to expose England's lack of batting depth
The absence of Ben Stokes has forced England to bump up Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes up the order in the lower middle setup, leaving behind a lengthy tail. If Sri Lanka manages to keep the imperious middle order quiet, they should be able to run through the remainder of the batting order with ease.
While Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson have hung around with the bat, it might prove to be tricky when there is not a flat track on offer.