Cricket Betting Tips and Fantasy Cricket Match Predictions: Sri Lanka vs England 2021 - 1st Test

The 1st Test of the two-match series between England and Sri Lanka will be played at the Galle International Stadium, Galle in Sri Lanka.

Live Scores and Stats - Sri Lanka vs England 2021 - 1st Test

The last time England toured Sri Lanka for a test series, they won 3-0. However, this time, the team is without their star players Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer. Moeen Ali, after testing positive for COVID-19, will also miss out.

Afte sharing the car with Moeen, Chris Woakes had to also go through a period of isolation albeit shorter than Ali, but that was enough for Woakes to miss the only day of match practice that England could manage in the hot and humid conditions of Sri Lanka. Thus Woakes might not be considered for selection.

Some of England's stars of the last series like Keaton Jennings (averaged 46.60 in 2018), Moeen Ali (England's joint-highest wicket-taker in 2018), Adil Rashid (took 12 wickets at 28 in 2018 but has decided to opt out of red-ball cricket) and Ben Foakes (the highest run-scorer of the series in 2018) are either not part of the squad or will not make it to the playing XI.

The absence of their talisman Ben Stokes is also a massive loss for England.

Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Dan Lawrence and Jos Buttler will form England's top six with Dom Bess and Jack Leach accompanying Mark Wood and one of Stuart Broad or James Anderson.

Sri Lanka will open with Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera and are likely to have Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal back. All three of their spinners Wanindu Hasaranga, Dilruwan Perera and Lasith Embuldeniya will play.

Let's have a look at the probable playing XI of both teams:

Sri Lanka - Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Kusal Perera, Lahiru Thirimanne, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dilruwan Perera, Lasith Embuldeniya, Suranga Lakmal

England - Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root (c), Dan Lawrence, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Dom Bess, Jack Leach, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad/James Anderson