Sri Lankan Test captain Dhananjaya de Silva expressed his team’s desire to play more than one warm-up match before their three-match Test series against England. Despite their request, the visitors were only granted one practice game, which they lost by seven wickets to the England Lions at New Road in Worcester from August 14 to August 17.
The first Test between England and Sri Lanka is set to begin on Wednesday, August 21, at Old Trafford in Manchester. Speaking ahead of the series, Dhananjaya emphasized the importance of additional preparation in English conditions, which are notably different from those in Asia.
“The conditions are quite different from Asian countries. We wanted to play a few matches, but that’s what we got. We didn’t go with the full-strength [team in the warm-up game]. We tried out a few players as well. The result didn’t go our way, but we had the preparation, I think. It’ll work in this match,” Dhananjaya told ESPNcricinfo.
When asked why their request for an additional warm-up match was denied, the 32-year-old captain admitted he was unsure, speculating, “Maybe because we are playing a three-match series after a long time; maybe that’s the reason.”
Despite the loss in the practice match, Dhananjaya maintained that his players are mentally prepared for the Test series. “Yes, we lost the practice match, but that match was there for our training. Within that, we got the preparation we wanted,” he asserted.
The Sri Lankan side is expected to hand a Test debut to right-arm pacer Milan Rathnayake in Manchester. The 28-year-old has taken 81 wickets in 40 first-class matches, and his inclusion is seen as a strategic move to strengthen the bowling attack.
“From the Looks of It, It’ll Be a Rain-Affected Match” – Dhananjaya de Silva
Dhananjaya also noted the likelihood of rain affecting the first Test in Manchester. He explained the decision to field three seamers, while also expressing confidence in left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.
“From the looks of it, it’ll be a rain-affected match. I thought because of that, it’s best to go with three quicks, because we will go in and out of the game,” the Sri Lankan captain stated.
Following the opening Test, the series will move to Lord’s, where the second Test is scheduled from August 29 to September 2.
