"When Sri Lanka were 6/3, I just thought England would be batting mid-afternoon" - Michael Vaughan lauds visitors' fightback in ENG vs SL 1st Test
Michael Vaughan has lauded Sri Lanka for staging an excellent comeback after being dealt early blows in the first Test against England. He praised Dhananjaya de Silva and Milan Rathnayake for scoring fighting half-centuries for the visitors.
The Lankan Lions were reduced to 6/3 after opting to bat first in Manchester on Wednesday, August 21. They were further reduced to 113/7 before De Silva and Rathnayake's knocks helped them reach 236 in their first innings.
Reviewing the first day's play on BBC Test Match Special, Vaughan appreciated Sri Lanka for showing fighting spirit after they seemed down and out.
"When Sri Lanka were 6/3, I just thought England would be batting mid-afternoon, they (Sri Lanka) would be all out for 120-130, and England would have a lead, but Sri Lanka, they always find a bit of spirit. That's been a trait of theirs for many, many years," he said.
The former England captain showered praise on the Lankan captain De Silva and debutant Rathnayake for leading the visitors' recovery.
"You think you have got them and suddenly the captain played really well. I thought he looked in fantastic form. He made batting look quite easy against some quick bowling from Mark Wood," Vaughan stated.
"Then Rathnayake on debut, what a left-hander he is, to come and play the way he did. He seemed to time his punches perfectly. Every time he needed a boundary, he seemed to have the flourish of the bat to find the boundary," he added.
De Silva smashed an attacking 84-ball 74 with the help of eight fours. Rathnayake scored 72 runs off 135 deliveries, a knock studded with six fours and two sixes.
"I still feel it's a long way under par" - Michael Vaughan on Sri Lanka's total
While opining that Sri Lanka have posted a below-par total, Michael Vaughan added that the visitors could stage a comeback if they get bowler-friendly conditions on Thursday.
"I still feel it's a long way under par. Sri Lanka will have to bowl incredibly well tomorrow, take every chance, but you never know, there is rain due. When rain comes here in the UK, it brings a bit of moisture. You just don't know, the pitch might do more tomorrow than it did today, and it might do a little bit quicker, which might give Sri Lanka a chance," he said in the same discussion.
The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons England could have reintroduced Mark Wood earlier to end Sri Lanka's lower-order resistance.
"I am looking at England, could they have done anything more? I look at Mark Wood. He has only bowled eight overs. Could they have brought Mark Wood back into the attack a bit sooner? That's the only little question mark," Vaughan observed.
Wood bowled only eight overs, dismissing Kusal Mendis with a snorter. Chris Woakes (3/32), Shoaib Bashir (3/55) and Gus Atkinson (2/48) were England's most successful bowlers.