Sri Lanka is set to face England in a three-match Test series starting on August 21, with legendary cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya at the helm as the interim head coach. Fresh off a 2-0 ODI series victory against India, Jayasuriya’s side enters the series with renewed confidence, despite the challenge posed by England’s aggressive style of play, popularly known as ‘Bazball’.

Jayasuriya Unfazed by Bazball

In the lead-up to the first Test, much of the attention has been on how Sri Lanka plans to counter England’s Bazball approach. However, Jayasuriya is unfazed by the hype surrounding this style of play, drawing comparisons to the aggressive batting that Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist showcased during his playing days. Speaking to the media, Jayasuriya remarked, “This is something similar to what we have had in the past. There has just been some media publicity that this is something new. They try to play attacking cricket from the outset, but the end goal is to get to those totals of 300 or 400.”

Jayasuriya acknowledged that England’s strategy revolves around gaining an early advantage, especially in the first 10 overs. “It’s in the first ten overs that there will be the most pressure, I think. Historically, they have been attacking in that phase and getting runs on the board quickly. We have plans to counter that,” he added.

Adapting to English Conditions

Sri Lanka’s previous Test tours of England have been challenging, with only one series victory to their name, back in 2014. However, Jayasuriya believes that the late-summer conditions in England could work in their favor. “The fact that we have got a late-summer tour is great, because a lot of wickets have been used a lot, and there's more sunshine at this time of year. It's more similar to our conditions than the early summer tours,” he explained.

Jayasuriya also emphasized the importance of adjusting to the unique challenges posed by the Duke ball, which can swing and seam even on flat pitches. “We have to know how to adjust to that. The key is to bowl in the right areas and be prepared to adapt our approach as the conditions change.”

Experienced Batting Line-Up Key to Success

Sri Lanka will rely heavily on their experienced batting line-up, featuring the likes of Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Dinesh Chandimal. Jayasuriya expressed confidence in his batters, while also highlighting the importance of capitalizing on opportunities. “If they get a start, they need to play big innings. They know they have that responsibility on challenging wickets,” he stated.

Jayasuriya’s own success in English conditions, where he scored 421 runs in six Tests at an average of 42.1, serves as inspiration for his team. “Playing three Tests like this is not an opportunity you will get easily again. We have to take it while we can,” he said, urging his players to seize the moment.

Bowling Resources and Future Plans

Sri Lanka’s bowling attack will be led by Vishwa Fernando, who has gained valuable experience playing for Yorkshire in the County Championship. Jayasuriya is optimistic about the impact Fernando and his fellow seamers can make, despite the relative inexperience of the group. “If we get their rhythm right, we will be in great shape,” he noted.

As Jayasuriya prepares for his second and final series as interim head coach, he remains focused on the task at hand, while the process of finding a permanent head coach for Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is already underway. Reflecting on his future, Jayasuriya said, “I'm at the High Performance Centre. Sri Lanka Cricket must be looking for a new coach, and I think they have started interviewing candidates now.”

As Sri Lanka takes on England in what promises to be an exciting Test series, all eyes will be on how Jayasuriya’s team adapts to the challenges ahead, particularly in countering the much-discussed Bazball approach.