SL vs ENG Dream11 Team Prediction Tips for 1st Test Sri Lanka vs England, 14-18 January

SL vs ENG Dream11: Hosts Sri Lanka will take on England in the first test of the series here at Galle. Sri Lanka will be looking for a win at home after a disappointing test series in South Africa. With Mathews and Chandimal returning, the batting looks solid this time around. Skipper Karunaratne will be looking to carry his form from his last innings where he scored a brilliant century. SL usually plays three spinners at Galle and it is expected to be the same case this time around. The majority of the overs will be bowled by Hasaranga, Embuldeniya and Perera and it will be a challenge for England batsmen to get a big score. It still remains to be seen whether Lakmal is fit enough to play this game or not. If he doesn’t play, Vishwa Fernando keeps his place in the eleven.

Meanwhile, England are playing test cricket after some time and they will be fresh going into this series. They clean swept the home side the last time they toured here which will give them loads of confidence. With several first choice players like Stokes and Archer rested, it will be a great chance for their young players to make a mark in conditions which don’t quite suit them. Sibley and Crawley have been impressive in the tests that they have played so far. Dan Lawrence is expected to make his test debut which is an exciting thing for English cricket. With experienced players like Root and Bairstow in the eleven, England will hope to get a big score on the board. With Anderson a certainty in the eleven, one out of Broad and Wood is expected to play. But the inexperience in the spin department may be a concern for the management.

SL vs ENG Dream11 match details
Fixture name: 1st Test, Sri Lanka vs England
Series: England tour of Sri Lanka, 2021
Date: Jan 14-Jan 18
Time: 10 AM IST
Ground: Galle International Stadium, Galle
Brief score of the last result at the venue: Sri Lanka 267 & 268/4 beat New Zealand 249 & 185 by 6 wickets on Aug 14-Aug18, 2019.
Team Form:
SL (recent form) L W D L L
ENG (recent form) W W W D D
ICC Test Rankings: SL 6, ENG 4
Pitch Report: Generally, Galle is a spinner’s paradise. The pitch is expected to be good for batting for the first two days but expect it to take turn from then onwards. There has been rain around in the lead up to the match. But there has been no draw on this ground since 2014. The team winning the toss will probably bat first as the pitch will deteriorate considerably as the match will go on.

SL vs ENG Playing 11

SL Team News
Injury update, unavailability- Mathews and Chandimal have recovered from their injuries and are available for selection. Oshada Fernando, Lakmal and Kumara have recovered from their respective injuries but it is not yet clear whether they are match ready or not.
Expected team changes- From the last match against SA, SL are likely to bring in Mathews, Chandimal, Dilruwan Perera and Embuldeniya and in place of Thirimanne, Bhanuka, Chameera and Asitha Fernando.
Team Combination:
Skipper Karunaratne and Kusal Perera will open with Kusal Mendis to bat at No.3.
Chandimal, Mathews and wicketkeeper Dickwella will be the in the middle order. Shanaka will be the allrounder and will bat at No.7.
SL are likely to go with three spinners in Hasaranga, Embuldeniya and Dilruwan Perera. Lakmal will be the only fast bowler. If Lakmal is not fit, Vishwa Fernando will be in the eleven.
SL Playing 11 (probable)
D Karunaratne (C)
K Perera
K Mendis
D Chandimal
A Mathews
N Dickwella (wk)
D Shanaka
W Hasaranga
D Perera
S Lakmal/ V Fernando
L Embuldeniya

ENG Team News
Injury update, unavailability- Moeen Ali has been ruled out as he has contracted Covid-19. Woakes has returned for the contention after missing the warm-up fixture. Stokes, Archer and Burns are unavailable for this series. Ollie Pope will also be unavailable due to his shoulder surgery.
Expected team changes- From the last test, England is expected to bring in Lawrence, Bairstow, Curran and Leach in place of Burns, Pope, Woakes and Archer. Wood may play in place of Broad if England opt for more pace.
Team Combination:
In absence of Burns, Sibley and Crawley will open with Bairstow slotted in for No.3.
Skipper Root, debutant Dan Lawrence and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler will hold middle order spots. Sam Curran will be the all-round option at No.7.
Anderson is certain to play and will bowl with new ball. One out of Broad and Wood will get a game. Two spinners are most likely with Bess and Leach leading the charge.
ENG Playing 11 (probable)
D Sibley
Z Crawley
J Bairstow
J Root (C)
D Lawrence
J Buttler (wk)
S Curran
D Bess
S Broad/ M Wood
J Leach
J Anderson

SL vs ENG Today Match Prediction: Who will win SL vs ENG Dream11 match today?
Despite losing its last series recently, Sri Lanka will start this match as favorites as they are playing at home. The turning wicket in Galle will suit their spinners. England though, will be without their premier allrounder Ben Stokes who has been an integral part of the test team. They will take confidence from the fact that they won the test series last time they visited here. Expect spinners to play a crucial part in the SL vs ENG Today Match Prediction.

SL vs ENG Dream11 Prediction, Captain & Differential Picks, Fantasy Cricket Tips
D Karunaratne- SL skipper has a brilliant record at home and goes on to make big scores. He looked good in the last test against SA. In conditions not suited for seam bowling, he can get a big score if he sees off the opening spell of Anderson and Broad.
Test Career: Runs 4657, Avg. 36
Karunaratne vs ENG: Runs 512, Avg. 34

D Chandimal- An excellent player of spin, Chandimal has been an important asset in this SL batting order, especially at home. He looked good in SA before he got injured and was ruled out of last test.
Test Career: Runs 3987, Avg. 41
Chandimal vs ENG: Runs 316, Avg. 29

A Mathews- One of the most accomplished and probably the most experienced of all, Mathews is a mainstay in this SL middle order. Despite returning from injury, he is expected to be a real threat for England spinners as he has the ability to make big scores.
Test Career: Runs 5981, Avg. 45
Mathews vs ENG: Runs 757, Avg. 44

J Root- Root has been short of runs recently in test cricket. As a senior batsman of the side, England needs him to fire against quality spinners. He is a good player of spin bowling and can be a threat to SL spinners.
Test Career: Runs 7823, Avg. 48
Root vs SL: Runs 575, Avg. 44

D Bess- Bess hasn’t played in spin friendly conditions in his short test career yet but he will be a useful asset for England in this series. He has already shown his temperament and the ability to bowl long spells.
Test Career: Wkts 19, Bowl Avg. 40

J Anderson- The experienced bowler recently picked up 600 test wickets and is a legend of the game. The conditions will not be suitable for him but he has the skills to pick up wickets on any pitch. England will need a senior bowler like him to rise up to the occasion.
Test Career: Wkts 600, Bowl Avg. 26
Anderson vs SL: Wkts 52, Bowl Avg. 23

Differential Picks
L Embuldeniya- He did not get a chance to play in SA but has been impressive in the limited matches that he has played so far. On spinning wicket, he can be a top pick in the SL vs ENG Dream11 Prediction.
Test Career: Wkts 30, Bowl Avg. 39

D Sibley- The tall opener has shown his temperament in the limited matches that he has played so far. He has the ability to score difficult runs in test cricket and uses his feet well to the spinners. On a spinning wicket, his role will be important at the top.
Test Career: Runs 686, Avg. 38

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