Sri Lanka Warm-Up Woes: Captain De Silva Speaks Out Before Test Series Against England
Sri Lanka’s cricket captain, Dhananjaya De Silva, has expressed frustration over the team’s preparation for their upcoming Test series against England. On the eve of the first Test at Old Trafford, De Silva voiced disappointment about not having enough warm-up games before the series. The Sri Lankan team has only played nine Test matches in the past two years and had just one warm-up game before this series.
In that lone warm-up match, Sri Lanka struggled, getting bowled out for 139 in their first innings. Only newcomer Milan Rathnayake performed well across both innings. De Silva pointed out that conditions in England are very different from those in Sri Lanka, and they had hoped to play more practice matches to adapt better.
“We wanted to play a few more games to prepare, but we only got one warm-up match. We didn’t field our full-strength team and tried out a few new players. Even though the result wasn’t ideal, we’ve had some preparation, and I believe it will help us in the Test match,” De Silva said.
He also mentioned uncertainty about why their request for an additional warm-up match was turned down, suggesting that the length of the series might be a factor.
Sri Lanka recently swept India 3-0 in an ODI series at home, but playing in England, where they last had a Test win in 2014, presents a new challenge. The team last played a red-ball game in March 2024, adding to their difficulties. Despite a recent victory against an inexperienced England Lions team, Sri Lanka struggled with their batting and eventually lost the warm-up match by seven wickets.
Sri Lanka’s record in England is modest, with only three wins out of 18 Tests, and they’re hoping their recent form and De Silva’s unbeaten record as captain in Test matches will boost their chances. The first Test against England begins on August 21 at Old Trafford in Manchester.