England gear up for tough Sri Lanka test
England will look for a good work-out when they prepare for the
two-Test series against Sri Lanka with a practice match against a local
team in Colombo from Thursday.
The three-day match will be followed by another warm-up game from
March 20-22 before the first Test opens in Galle on March 26. The second
Test will be played in Colombo from April 3. England, the top-ranked
Test side, must adapt quickly to the stifling heat and slow wickets if
they are to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing 3-0 rout by Pakistan in
the United Arab Emirates. Skipper Andrew Strauss said he expected
conditions to be tougher in Sri Lanka than in Dubai and Abu Dhabi where
Pakistan's spinners repeatedly destroyed his batting order.
“The conditions here are very different to Dubai,” said the
35-year-old, who has not played a Test match in Sri Lanka before.
“There's a lot more humidity and the heat is much more of a factor out
here.” “Hopefully once the Tests start, we'll be very much on top of
it.” The left-handed opener is himself struggling for runs, having gone
14 Tests without a century. Strauss has passed 50 just once in his last
seven innings. AFP
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