Second Virtual Test: Nasser Hussain names unchanged England XI

Kumar Sangakkara makes two changes as Sri Lanka look to earn series draw in Colombo

Image: Joe Root's side are looking for a 2-0 win over Sri Lanka in the Virtual Test series

Nasser Hussain sees no reason to change a winning team, with England the same again for the second and final Virtual Test against Sri Lanka.

England beat the hosts by seven wickets in Sky Sports Cricket statistician Benedict Bermange's first Virtual Test in Galle, with off-spinner Dom Bess scooping nine wickets and the Man of the Match award.

Image: The teams for the second Virtual Test in Colombo, which starts on Friday

Captain Joe Root (95) and opener Dom Sibley (72) also impressed with the bat, meaning guest selector Hussain has picked an unchanged XI for the game in Colombo from Friday, which you can follow across Twitter as well as on skysports.com and the Sky Sports app.

We asked the great Kumar Sangakkara to pick the Sri Lanka side and he has opted to make two changes - the fit-again Kusal Perera and Wanindu Hasaranga replacing Dhananjaya de Silva and Suranga Lakmal.

Kumar says Angelo Mathews can open the bowling in Lakmal's absence, as he has bowled a bit in one-day international cricket of late and can be counted on for a few short spells a day.

Advertisement

Sanga feels the Colombo pitch should offer appreciable turn so Hasaranga - a hard-hitting, leg-spinning all-rounder, who will now make his Test debut - could play an important role.

A hamstring injury kept Hasaranga, who has been in good form domestically, out of the first Test but he is now ready to return, as is batsman Kusal Perera.

Also See:

England's Stuart Broad talks Ian Ward through his training in Sri Lanka ahead of Benedict Bermange's second Virtual Test

Kusal, who missed last week's match with finger issue, could be a vital man for Sri Lanka, with his stunning, match-winning hundred against South Africa in Durban last year an example of his considerable talent.

Benedict is using a cricket simulation that takes into account batting averages, strike-rates, bowling averages and bowling speeds and plays out a five-day Test match based on those figures.

The real Test series between Sri Lanka and England was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Outbrain