England’s all-time leading wicket taker missed the fourth Test with a side strain suffered during his team’s eight-wicket win in the third Test at Edgbaston.
Having won the curtain-raiser match of the current series against India at Galle, the second Test starting at the P Sara Oval on Thursday is one game the Lankans cannot afford to lose.
As Sri Lanka prepare for a memorable farewell for veteran batsman Kumar Sangakkara, India will look to regroup and avenge the loss in the first Test when they square up for the second of the three-match series at the P. Sara Oval from Thursday.
England captain Alastair Cook admitted that he wants to continue leading the side after the conclusion of the ongoing Ashes, as he expects some exciting challenges ahead.
This is usually a golden probability for Indian group to win a collection in Sri Lanka as the house group is in a rebuilding course of and are literally fighting the similar. India bundled Srilanka for 183.
England’s Ben Stokes, 2nd right, is congratulated by Mark Wood, right, and teammates after catching Australia’s Adam Voges, bowled by England’s Stuart Broad for 1 run during day one of the fourth Ashes Test cricket match, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England.
Clarke resigned on Saturday although he will play in the final fifth and final Test match of the series after last week, saying he had no intention of doing so.
It was a point acknowledged by England national selector James Whitaker who said Sunday that Anderson, who has replaced uncapped left-arm seamer Mark Footitt in the squad, would not be rushed back into the side.
India continued their fine bowling display and made giant strides towards victory by reducing a clueless Sri Lanka to 108 for five at lunch on the third day of the opening cricket Test here today.