how would you rate SL chances of scoring an upset over ENG in test matches

[ammarz]

they will be playing in conditions which we had to go through in the last test series in england in early may, when the pitch is seaming around prodigously. how would you rate SL coping up with it? they have a decent pace attack. farveez mahmood did a good job in SL and now they got Vaas back and Murali can turn on any kind of pitch. its the SL batsmen which are more suspect in those conditions and they are missing attapattu and jayasuria. first test will probably go to eng, and if the SL batsmen can come up with some good performances who knows...
Comments?!!

[Abid]

Their bowlers might do a good job but i see their batsmen struggling.

[Saj]

It would be a huge shock, especially early in the English summer.

I'd expect Vaas and perhaps Mahroof to have a good series, but their batsmen will struggle. England to win the test series comfortably.

[CrickFan]

there are more chances of me going to moon !!

[Boom.Boom.Afridi]

if england have their first choice seam attack of hoggi, harmision (who i belive will miss the 1st test so Anderson comes in ), simon jones, flintoff....dont see SL scoring too many on seaming tracks.... their batting is fragile and hugely depends on Kumar Sangakara...i would give them no chance

[zaf1986]

Last time around I believe Eng won 2-1 but SL played well...I reckon it may be closer than people reckon.

[PlanetPakistan]

I say 2-0 ENG!
SL need to work at the psychological part of their game, they seem to panic in tight situations.
If you look at their team, the batting lineup looks very inexperienced. Bowling wise they will need Vaas, Murli and Mahroof to do really really well!
This should the team for the 1st test

1- Thranga
2- Mubarak/Vandort
3- Sangakara
4- Mahela Jayawerdena
5- Samerawera
6- Dilshan
7- Mubrak/Vandort
8- Mahroof
9- Vaas
10- Murli
11- Malinga!

I don't think they will play Kulasekra, Bandara or Parera!

[z10]

attapatu will open

[Uzi]

attapatu will open

Hasn't he pulled out of the tour?

[z10]

Hasn't he pulled out of the tour?

yes, my bad. He has pulled out of the tour.

[waqar_ahmad]

sri lanks is a very weak team. no matter how well they played against pakistan, they were playing at home. and then pakistani batsmen didnt have a good series. their bowling attack is not bad, but i think its their batters that are more likely to flop. but i wouldnt write them off completely, they might spriing a surprise, but if i had to bet my money on one team, it would be england

[waqar_ahmad]

yes, my bad. He has pulled out of the tour.

yeah he has pulle dout, and i think its good for the lankans. i know that he is experienced, but i dont hink he is a good player. just looks solid coz he is too defensive and defends many balls that anyone can hit for boudries. no mater what commentators say about him, i think he is not a world class player and they shoud have a byounf opener in place of him

[Daoud]

Very, very unlikely considering how alergic their batsmen seem to be when they're away from home

[Rob H]

Though you never know with Sri Lanka (came back well in VB series) i think that England will win the series. It is in early summer so Murali will not get as much turn and their batsman will have to cope with the ball whistling past them.

[Easa]

An easy English win.

Sri Lanka will not be able to cope with the extra nip and bounce in English wickets.

[James]

I think SL will compete better than some people expect, but at the risk of being called Mr. 2-0, I think we will win 2-0 :P

Murali v Pietersen will be a treat that's for sure

[pakistani pride]

SL will get thumped ENG have been frustrated and are raring to go on home wicketssssss

[SOSami]

Sri Lankan batting is nowhere near strong enough to take on the England quicks, especially so early in the summer, when the pitches are juiced up.
You are right though, SL do have a decent bowling line up.

[Amjid Javed]

Sri lanka are lined up for quite a pasting this summer. They struggled against India/pakistan in conditions there use to.

Sri lankas bowlers Vass, Mahroof, Malinga and murali will cause problems for the english batsmen and they are capable of taking 20 wickets.

However, Apart from Sanagakarra the Sri lankans batting is full Subcontinental track bullies and untested batsmen.

Vandort and tharanga at top of order will be given a stern working over and i cant see them doing much damage.

J mubarak and dilshan are stylish players but both have been found wanting when ball moves around and against quality bowlers.

Samarweera and jayawardena stats wise have good records but most of their runs have come in Asia and against poor bowlers.

England will beat sri lanka 2-0 or 3-0 with ease. Some england fans may show caution and respect but in sri lankas case on the road they are road kill!

[Officer Barbrady]

Vaas is a sight threat because of the timing of the series. They do though for once seem to have a decent attack, Vaas, Zoysa, Mahroof and Murali seems decent.

The batting is a problem.

[Amir]

I would agree with most of AJ's post except on a couple excerpts. Thangara to me is a very good batsmen with alot of potential which I rate highly. He just needs to improve his temperment but he can play in seaming conditions. I remember in NZ with the ball moving around, he made a very good 100 in ODIs(and mind you NZ are quite a formidable attack at home also with Bond). And now in this tour match he made 100(I know it is a university side, however looking at the other batsmen scores, just shows the difference between him and the rest of the batsmen on the team).

I also label Jayawardene as a sub-continent specialist(to put it nicely) :P but surprsingly his record in England from the last time he played is quite impressive, so I cannot say much but await for this series in hope to prove me correct.

In the end, I would say 2-0 England(is this a 2 test match series? If is three tests, than I reckon 3-0 could be in the making).

[PlanetPakistan]

I hope it ends up being 1-1!

[Ilyas]

It will be a drawn series and most exciting we have seen for a while...

[Amjid Javed]

It will be a drawn series and most exciting we have seen for a while...

only way i see a series draw is if we see 15 days of rain :))

[Billy]

The England A team that they face on in their final tour match is going to be pretty strong. It's basically only three players away from the first choice A team (obviously with the injuries England have, Anderson, Panesar and Bell are needed in the senior squad).

Key*
Cook
Shah
Bopara
Joyce
Clarke
Read+
Loudon
Plunkett
Mahmood
Tremlett

Pakistan may well to get to face the strongest A team we can put out if we have a fully fit squad by then.

[KA$H]

too eraly to say yet

it'd best to comment after the game against the Eng A side

but i reckon the lankans shudn't be the walk over that ever1s expecting.

Moody's a shrewd one - and i think sangka and jayawadene will have to carry the team

the thing in SL's favour is the number of relative unknowns that Eng will face - i think the batting lineups pretty long

1-1 i'd say...

[Slugger]

i don't care about the upset I just want mahroof to do well