Notable absentees will give the tourists hope of a more competitive affair, says the Analyst, but the home side should prevail in Southampton
Tuesday’s T20 international at the Ageas Bowl is England’s first since the dramatic night in Calcutta when they lost the ICC World T20 final to West Indies’ incredible hulk Carlos Brathwaite.
But it will be a different looking England team this time around.
Ben Stokes is still not 100 percent fit, while Joe Root, Moeen Ali and Alex Hales are being rested with the Pakistan Test series beginning next week.
There are likely to be at least two England debuts.
Both Hampshire’s Liam Dawson and Tymal Mills of Sussex have already demonstrated their ability at T20 domestic level and deserve their elevation.
Mills, in particular, has been making county batsmen hop around with his 90mph left armers and is an exciting addition.
Their inclusions, though, will perhaps give Sri Lanka a hope of finishing their tour of England with at least a more competitive performance.
One brief hitting spree, or a double-wicket over, can turn a T20 match in minutes and they have several players who can deliver that.
But even with the absentees, England still look an impressive side.
Jason Roy will open with James Vince – who made 51 in his first ODI innings on Saturday.
And although Middlesex’s Dawid Malan, a third possible debutant at number three, is inexperienced, there is so much power and ability down the order with Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, the superbly talented Sam Billings and the often overlooked Liam Plunkett.
David Willey is liable to continue to take early wickets, supported by Plunkett’s hostility – he was the leading wicket-taker in the ODI series – and presumably Mills’ pace.
And the Sri Lankans are yet to completely unravel Adil Rashid’s crafty leg spinning variations. England back their bowling up with sharp, slick fielding.
The Ageas Bowl is a bigger playing area than many, but the pitch has ideal pace and bounce for the big hitters.
There were 457 runs (a run-rate of 11 per over) in the last T20 international here, between England and Australia, in 2013. So expect sixes galore, a tight(er) match, and, most likely, another England victory.
