Job Done For England
So far it’s been a pretty one-sided series, with England leading 2-0 after victories at Old Trafford and Lords. However, coming back to the Oval could be a good omen for Sri Lanka. They’ve not lost a Test match at the South London venue, so it’s a ground that could favour their team.
Look At The Future
England will only make one change coming into this Test match. They will be handing 20-year-old left-arm pace bowler Josh Hull his Test debut. The Leicestershire man hasn’t got much first-class pedigree, only taking sixteen wickets with an average of 63. However, he did impress in the Lions Tour of Sri Lanka in the winter, where he took several wickets. Furthermore, with the series wrapped up, it looks like the selectors want to see how he performs in the Test arena.
Home Advantage Can Count
When it comes to who’s going to be England’s top wicket-taker in the first innings, I think Gus Atkinson is the most likely candidate. The 26-year-old has been a revelation this summer and caused the visiting teams all kinds of headaches. At Lords, he scored a century with the bat and took another haul of seven wickets. I think coming back to his home ground will give the Surrey bowler an advantage, as he will know the pitch inside out. At 11/4 he’ll do for me.
No Root Value
Looking at England’s batting line-up, many people are going to be looking to side with Joe Root here for the top run scorer. He’s had a terrific summer, and he scored two centuries in the last Test match at Lords. Despite that, I am happy to leave him at 3/1 to be England’s leading top run scorer in the first innings.
A Captain’s Innings
The player I am looking for is the current England Test captain, Ollie Pope. Earlier in the summer, he was as good as any England batsman in the line-up, and he even scored a century at Lords against the West Indies. After that, his form has tailed off a little bit, and he has struggled for runs at times, especially in this series. A lot of people have been saying the duties of captain could be wearing down, which is a possibility.
However, the reason I am wanting to get behind him is that he is returning to his home ground, The Oval. In his last two Test matches at The Oval, he had been England’s highest run scorer in the first innings on both occasions. Not every batsman can adapt pitch at the Oval, as you need to play pace well, which Pope can. The 27-year-old will want a big knock to end the series, and I think he can at 9/2.
An Oval Omen?
As I mentioned earlier, Sri Lanka have an excellent record at The Oval, and they will want something to show after a disappointing series. Sri Lanka’s batting and bowling have been hot and cold at times in this series, with no department shining over the other.
Chandimal Can Get In Early
The batting line-up often seems to peak in the second innings, once that batsman knows what kind of conditions they are facing. The one batsman I’m keen to side with is Dinesh Chandimal. He didn’t start brightly at Lords, but in the second innings put together a nice half-century and probably should have gone on if he hadn’t played a silly shot to short mid-wicket. The 34-year-old also scored a fair 79 at Old Trafford, so he’s clearly in decent shape. If he can get off to a good start and get himself in, then the former Sri Lanka captain could get a huge knock, and at 5/1 he’s going to be my selection to be their top batsman.
Fast And Furious Fernando
Spin hasn’t played too much of a part in this Test series; therefore, I’ll be overlooking Prabath Jayasuriya. The one that appeals to me to be Sri Lanka’s top wicket taker is Asitha Fernando at 3/1. He did us a favour in the last Test match, taking eight wickets. The 27-year-old has taken to English conditions well, and he was the one that gave England’s batsmen the most to think about. I think the fast pitch will really suit him at The Oval, and I can see him getting plenty of wickets again.
There is quite a bit of rain around forecast for Friday, so hopefully it doesn’t affect play too much. It would be great if we could have an interrupted match to bring an end to Test cricket 2024 in England.
England v Sri Lanka 3rd Test Selections
Gus Atkinson To Be England’s Top Wicket Taker 1st Innings (11/4)
Ollie Pope To Be England’s Top Run Scorer 1st Innings (9/2)
Dinesh Chandimal To Be Sri Lanka’s Top Run Scorer 1st Innings (9/2)
Asitha Fernando To Be Sri Lanka’s Top Wicket Taker 1st Innings (3/1)
