Sri Lanka v England, 2nd Test, Galle, 22-26 January, 2021

Can the hosts bounce back after effectively losing the first match on day one? Sounds like a dry pitch might spin from the start, which could negate the tourists’ stronger batting resources.

“Audi” Mendis is axed and skipper Karunaratne still out injured. England retain Wood and rotate the oldies with Jimmy in for Sturat.

Another belting coming up for the Lankans, who are at their lowest ebb in a long time.

I’m not sure, they gave us a scare at the end last week and if it turns early on we could easily be bundled out for less than 200 first up. Our spinners and opening batsmen need to up their game if it’s to be anywhere near comfortable.

The Flange is fighting back.

And he racks up a century. As I feared, this is going to be a hard slog for our bowlers, and we need a 100 first innings lead to have a chance batting last.

Just the day SL needed.

Jimmeh the star for England.

If only we had another bowler with 500+ Test wickets to call on

In a two-match series I’m not sure they really needed to rest Broad, or if they did, go for some more extra pace with Stone (or even a third spinner). Sam Curran for me is a modern-day Dominic Cork - a lively cricketer who has the potential to make something happen in any aspect of the game, but needs the ball to swing to be really worth his place in his main discipline.

Shit got interesting. England 9/2

The opening debate is about to resurface, if it hasn’t already. Maybe we should have taken “subcontinent specialist” Keaton Jennings? Or just let Jack Leach open

Root and Anderson are filling their boots against the down and out Lankans.

We’re still 90 behind with the tail in, SL are favourites as it stands. Without Root’s efforts we’d be following on right now.

Another 150 for the captain, and he’s overtaken Boycott and KP on the all-time run-scoring list, with Gower next in his sights. Handy support from Bess but we need to get to parity to have a realistic chance.

Gower surpassed as well now, and Root averages more than any of the three England legends he’s overtaken today, or indeed anyone else in the top 10. Almost back up to 50 now.

Curiously there are five England players together in the all-time Test runscorers list (from Stewart down to Boycott), and if it wasn’t for Mark Waugh just below them it would be a cluster of seven England men.

What a way for it to end, run out by short leg in the last over of the day. Still, 415 runs in the series and only dismissed by a bowler once, that’s pretty good going.

42 behind with just the Burnley Lara to join Leach, so SL have every chance of building a winning advantage tomorrow.

Fine effort from Emboldened with 7 wickets. Hope he picks up the last one today.

Oh dear Sri Lanka...

Falling in a heap to our spinners... ten wickets to seam in the first innings, ten wickets to spin in the second. That surely can’t have happened before, anywhere?

This is going to be very tight...

...or maybe not! Well done to Sibley and Buttler for seeing us home to a mini-whitewash. The former was under some pressure having struggled this series and with Burns set to be available again after paternity leave.

Root is now 5-0-0 captaining in Asia. India will be a massively bigger challenge, but there’s a lot to build on. SL basically threw it away with one bad session in each match.

Well done England on romping home.

An abject 2nd innings effort by the Lankans after a decent 1st innings.

Great series for Joe Root with bat and captaincy. And added a 2-0 bowling effort as well.

Fair enough re Root getting motm, but "Emboldened" after 7 wickets in the Poms first dig and 3 in the second plus a rearguard 40 in SL's terrible 2nd Innings must have run him close.