It could be Sri Lanka’s final Test under Karunaratne’s direction.
In the big picture, Ireland is betting on the long toss.
In the first innings of the first Test, Ireland was outplayed almost every time you could think of, except for a brief stretch at the close of day one when Sri Lanka lost three top-order wickets for 28 runs and a couple of half-century stands in their innings.
It occurs. Ireland is engaged in their first-ever two-Test series and was thrown into an oven. In addition to having to perform in April, when the humidity is exceptionally high, the surface in Galle is probably the furthest away from their familiar tracks that can be imagined. Early assistance was provided for the seamers, but they could not be consistently threatening under such trying circumstances.
Although there were several spin options, they needed more talent and focus that would have made them challenging in the first two days, despite plenty of them.
The toss is Ireland’s best chance of having the best batting conditions, which usually start to matter after lunch on the first day, and so have the best chance of competing in the second Test. It also means they’ll get to unleash their spinners once the track starts to wear, provided they bat for a few innings in the first.
It may be Sri Lanka’s final game under the direction of Dimuth Karunaratne, who, by all accounts, has led the team admirably since being thrown into the captain’s role in early 2019. Karunaratne, who is 35 years old, has clarified that he wants to retire so that a new captain may rise for the upcoming World Test Championship cycle. However, even though there isn’t a standout replacement now, the selectors don’t want him to.
In this game, Sri Lanka will also be hoping that opener Nishan Madushka scores a run that might launch his international career and that Sadeera Samarawickrama maintains his success as the new wicketkeeper-batter. Regarding bowling, the hosts appear strong thanks to Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, and the two Fernandos, Asitha and Vishwa.
Form guide
(completed games, newest first)
Sri Lanka WLLWL
Ireland LLLLL
Dimuth Karunaratne and Andy McBrine are featured.
Dimuth Karunaratne has served as captain while being Sri Lanka’s top batter. In actuality, he has been their best player overall. In 50 innings as the manager, he has hit seven hundred and 12 fifties for an average of 50.43. As an opening batsman, he has frequently been included in the ICC team of the year. Karunaratne is one of the athletes driven by numbers; if this is his final game as captain, it will mean something to him if he can average over 50 for the entirety of his captaincy career.
In the Test match earlier in the month against Bangladesh, where Ireland did mainly contend, offspinner Andy McBrine was the best of the team’s spinners, taking 7 for 170. In Galle, he was the main workhorse for his team, bowling 40 overs, but he frequently struggled to apply significant pressure. Andy is only 29 years old when people start to mature genuinely. He must have gained knowledge from those 40 overs and improved his ability to limit scoring if Ireland is to succeed. Better Test fields could be a place to start.
Team news
Sri Lanka will likely keep their starting lineup the same.
Sri Lanka (possible):
Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Dhananjay de Silva, 7 Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Vishwa Fernando
Paul Stirling, who has played in Sri Lanka’s Lanka Premier League, may be included in Ireland’s lineup for this match after being flown in, particularly for it. He might take over for Murray Commins, who scored two goals in the first Test as the opener.
Ireland (possible):
1 James McCollum, 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Andy Balbirnie (capt), 4 Harry Tector, wk Lorcan Tucker 5, No. 6 Peter Moor, Curtis Campher 7, George Dockrell (8), 9, Mark Adair, 10, and 11 Ben White
Pitch and surroundings
On the eve of the Test in Galle, there was a little rain, but the weather is still expected to be hot, muggy, and unpredictable on day two. The sea breeze is not as powerful as it is during this time of year, typically between July and September.
Numbers and Trivia
With 11 dismissals after four games, McBrine is Ireland’s second-highest Test wicket-taker, trailing only Tim Murtagh. With ten wickets, seamer Mark Adair is just behind him.
Karunaratne has played in 27 Tests and won 11 of them, with 10 being losses. He will tie Arjuna Ranatunga for the most Test victories if Sri Lanka wins 2-0, with only Angelo Mathews (13), Sanath Jayasuriya (18), and Mahela Jayawardene (18) standing in front of him.
Prabath Jayasuriya would surpass Ajantha Mendis and Ramesh Mendis’ record of 11 matches and become the fastest Sri Lankan bowler to 50 wickets if he takes seven wickets in this game after taking ten in the previous one. The only speedier bowlers to reach the milestone anywhere (by several matches) did so in the 1800s, and he would have accomplished it in his eighth Test. Vernon Philander reached the same milestone more recently in just seven Tests. All except two of Jayasuriya’s games have been played in Galle. Read more cricket news here at Indibet India, The Best Sports Betting Site in India.
