England vs Sri Lanka: How will hosts cope with out Ben Stokes? Storylines to comply with in Take a look at sequence | Cricket Information | Sky Sports activities

Forward of England’s three-Take a look at sequence in opposition to Sri Lanka, we take a more in-depth have a look at 5 storylines you have to comply with…

How will England fare with out Stokes?

There are a lot of issues groups don’t need to occur simply earlier than a Take a look at sequence. One of many greatest is shedding your skipper to harm. Sadly for England, that’s precisely what occurred with Ben Stokes.

• ‘I may do a job’ – James Anderson contemplating white-ball return in The Hundred
• Stream England’s Take a look at summer season and extra with NOW
• What cricket is reside on Sky Sports activities and when?

Stokes was carried off throughout The Hundred after pulling up whereas batting for Northern Superchargers in opposition to Manchester Originals, with scans subsequently confirming a left hamstring tear that may rule him out for the remainder of the summer season.

Vice-captain Ollie Pope will now lead in opposition to Sri Lanka as England look to proceed their Bazball philosophy with out considered one of its chief creators, Stokes, on the sector.

Sky Sports activities Cricket’s Nasser Hussain mentioned: “You are not going to abruptly have Pope are available and be a bit timid and alter the plans. The continuity, the messaging, can be completely the identical. He will not change any of that.

“I do not assume [captaincy] comes as naturally to him because it does for Stokes. I see him as a little bit of a worrier, so he has to bluff a little bit bit. However he is been introduced up within the faculty of Stokes and [Brendon] McCullum, so he’ll simply proceed the messaging.”

Chook, aircraft – or Mark Wooden supply?!

When desirous about how England will use tempo bowling throughout this Take a look at sequence, there isn’t any higher place to start out than Mark Wooden. Simply how briskly and may he go? Even nearer to 100mph?

Towards West Indies in July, he maxed out at 97.1mph and produced the quickest England over since 2006, whereas he took 5 wickets for 9 runs in a six-over spell of reverse swing to assist clinch a 3-0 sweep at Edgbaston.

Wooden can be joined by Gus Atkinson, who can be brimming with confidence after a debut to recollect within the West Indies sequence. The Surrey man took 22 wickets, beginning with a memorable 12-106 in Jimmy Anderson’s final Take a look at at Lord’s.

They might even be an opportunity for Olly Stone to actually make a mark. Stone can be trying so as to add to his three Take a look at caps and has been going nicely for Nottinghamshire however the strain is on when returning to the England facet for the primary time in three years.

How Pope makes use of these three might be essential to the result of the sequence. But when Wooden is at his flying finest, Atkinson continues on from his sensational debut, and Stone reveals his price, the tempo assault ought to be a pressure to be reckoned with.

Lawrence’s time to open

It’s presumed that with Zak Crawley (damaged finger) absent, England will flip to Dan Lawrence to open the batting.

Lawrence has been included in a number of England squads however has not performed a Take a look at since 2022.

The 27-year-old moved from Essex to Surrey over the winter and has made a formidable begin to the County Championship season, averaging 53.09 at a strike price of 74.68 with two centuries and three fifties.

Lawrence is primarily a middle-order participant however would have opened in opposition to West Indies had Ben Duckett missed a Take a look at because of the start of his first youngster. Now, he seems set to accomplice Duckett on the high of the order in opposition to Sri Lanka.

Are England prepared for a assured Sri Lanka?

Simply a few weeks in the past, Sri Lanka accomplished a historic ODI sequence victory over India in Colombo. If there’s ever such a factor as a confidence booster, that’s it, regardless of being in a distinct format.

The hosts surged to an emphatic 110-run victory within the third one-day worldwide to win the three-match sequence 2-0. India had not misplaced a bilateral ODI sequence to Sri Lanka since 1997.

Six gamers from Sri Lanka’s ODI squad – Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Kamindu Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay and Asitha Fernando – have been included within the Take a look at squad that England will face.

Sri Lanka have gained 5 of their final 10 Take a look at sequence, final finishing a 2-0 win over Bangladesh away from residence. Earlier than that, they defeated Afghanistan on residence soil.

They may pose England with a sterner take a look at than West Indies did, which the hosts ought to embrace.

‘Refined’ Bazball – will the evolution proceed?

Towards West Indies, it appeared that England had refined and advanced their Bazball method. They selected their moments to assault appropriately, solely actually going for it when required, and confirmed restraint when the sport required them to take action.

“We all know we’re not the completed article, however we made a step ahead on this sequence,” head coach McCullum informed Sky Sports activities. “Nothing is ever scripted by way of our method and the way we need to play.

“It is about attempting to permit the blokes to get themselves in a peaceful dressing room, have the ability to be completely current within the second, learn the state of affairs, belief themselves and immerse themselves in what the sport state of affairs is, then again themselves to let their sport unfold and adapt.

“Eighteen months onwards, with the batting group, which is just about in line with that, perhaps we have simply matured a bit and we perceive the various abilities our batting group has and we’re attempting to be a bit extra in line with the kind of gamers we need to be.”

Now England have the problem of doing that after once more with a doubtlessly more durable opponent and their captain out for the sequence.

England’s Take a look at sequence in opposition to Sri Lanka

• 1st Take a look at, Emirates Outdated Trafford – August 21-25
• 2nd Take a look at, Lord’s – August 29-September 2
• third Take a look at, The Oval – September 6-10

England’s three-Take a look at sequence in opposition to Sri Lanka will get below manner at Emirates Outdated Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday. Watch reside on Sky Sports activities Cricket from 10am (first ball at 11am).