Sri Lanka announce playing XI for 1st England Test; Include debutant pacer Milan Rathnayake in the lineup
Sri Lanka announced their playing XI for the first Test against England in Manchester, starting August 21. The two teams will play each other in three Tests with the second and third game set to be played at Lord's and the Oval, respectively.
The Lankans made only the lone change from the lineup that last played a Test match in Bangladesh earlier this year. Right-arm pacer Milan Rathnayake is set to make his international debut, replacing fellow pacer Lahiru Kumara from the Bangladesh outing.
Sri Lanka will be led by Dhananjaya De Silva, who remains unbeaten as Test captain, winning all three games against Afghanistan and Bangladesh.
Yet, his task will be cut out as the Asian side faces an upbeat English unit, coming off a 3-0 hammering of the West Indies. Sri Lanka have also lost the last three Test series against England, including seven out of the eight Tests with a lone draw.
Veteran batter Dimuth Karunaratne will open the batting with 24-year-old Nishan Madushka. The middle order boasts a strong look, with the presence of veterans Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, and Dinesh Chandimal.
Skipper De Silva will follow the trio at No.6 followed by spin-bowling all-rounder Kamindu Mendis at No.7.
The bowling lineup will feature the lone specialist spinner in Prabath Jayasuriya and a three-pronged pace attack with Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, and debutant Rathnayake.
Pathum Nissanka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ramesh Mendis, Nisala Tharaka, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, and Jeffrey Vandersay are the names who will sit out the series opener.
Sri Lanka last toured England for a Test series in 2016, where they suffered a 0-2 defeat in the three-match affair. However, they stunned the English in their den in the series before in 2014 by a 1-0 margin.
The Lankans have been in impressive red-ball form, winning three out of their last four series. They are fourth on the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) table with two wins in four games.
Sri Lanka's playing XI for 1st Test vs England
Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya De Silva (C), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, and Milan Rathnayake.