After whitewashing the West Indies in a three-match Test series last month, England will face Sri Lanka in a three-match Test series at home. The series opener is scheduled to start at Old Trafford in Manchester on Wednesday (August 21). Ollie Pope will lead England for the first time in the upcoming series after Ben Stokes was ruled out due to injury.
England is still alive in the race to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which is scheduled to take place at Lord’s next year. The Poms will be eager to maintain their red-hot form and get the better of the Sri Lankan team, which sits above them in the WTC 2023-25 points table.
Ahead of the start of the Test series, here’s a look at the top performers and record-holders in 36 matches played so far between England and Sri Lanka.
- Most wins: England (17 wins in 36 Tests).
- Highest total: 628 for 8 (dec) in 182 overs by Sri Lanka in Colombo (SSC), December 2003.
- Lowest total: 81 all out in 28.1 overs by Sri Lanka in Colombo (SSC), March 2001, and 81 all out in 30.5 overs by England in Galle, December 2007.
- Biggest win (by innings): Sri Lanka beat England by an innings and 215 runs in Colombo (SSC), December 2003.
- Biggest win (by runs): England beat Sri Lanka by 211 runs in Galle, November 2018.
- Biggest win (by wickets): Sri Lanka beat England by 10 wickets at The Oval, August 1998, and England beat Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in Manchester, June 2002.
- Most runs: Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka (2212 runs in 23 Tests).
- Highest score: 228 runs from 321 balls by Joe Root of England in Galle, January 2021.
- Highest average (min 10 innings): 81.37 by Jonny Bairstow of England (651 runs in six Tests).
- Most 100s: 8 centuries in 23 Tests by Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka).
- Most 50s: 10 half-centuries in 23 Tests by Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka.
- Most ducks: 7 zeros in 11 Tests by Suranga Lakmal (Sri Lanka).
- Most sixes: 15 sixes in 11 Tests by Kevin Pietersen (England).
- Most runs in a series: 474 runs in 3 Tests by Mahela Jayawardene during the England tour of Sri Lanka in 2007.
- Most wickets: Muttiah Muarlitharan of Sri Lanka (112 wickets in 16 Tests).
- Best bowling figures (innings): 9 wickets for 65 runs in 54.2 overs by Muttiah Muarlitharan at The Oval in August 1998.
- Best bowling figures (match): 16 wickets for 220 runs in 113.5 overs by Muttiah Muarlitharan at The Oval in August 1998.
- Most five-wicket hauls: 8 in 16 Tests by Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muarlitharan.
- Most wickets in a series: 26 wickets in three Tests by Muttiah Muarlitharan during the England tour of Sri Lanka in 2003.
- Most dismissals: 41 (39 catches, 2 stumpings) by Matt Prior of England in 10 Tests.
- Most catches: 38 catches in 23 Tests by Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka.
- Highest partnership: 262 runs for the third wicket between Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera of Sri Lanka at SSC, Colombo, in December 2003.
- Most matches: 23 Tests by Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka.
- Most wins as captain: 5 wins in 5 Tests by Joe Root (England).
In the last Test series played between England and Sri Lanka in January 2021, the Poms managed to get the better of the Islanders in both the Tests played in Galle.
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