Sri Lanka v England 2nd Test – 22/01/2021

Sri Lanka v England 2nd Test Preview – Betting Tips, Latest Odds, Predictions – 22/01/2021

England will be looking to secure a series win with victory in this second and final Test in Galle.

Sri Lanka gave themselves a mountain to climb in the first Test after a disastrous first innings and will be keen to hit back.

Read our expert cricket tips for this clash.

Sri Lanka v England 2nd Test – Match Preview

England continued their fine form away from home in Test cricket when beating Sri Lanka in the first Test.

They opted to only make one change to the starting XI for this match, with Jimmy Anderson replacing Stuart Broad

More time has been given to batsman Dan Lawrence following an assured debut.

Sri Lanka were left to rue a first-innings collapse after fighting back to give themselves a slim chance of victory. They will want to bat better in the hope of drawing level.

Where: Galle International Stadium, Galle

When: Friday, 22 January 2020

Start time: 10:00 IST (04:30 GMT).

Pitch conditions: Sri Lanka historically have a good record in Galle but England will be pleased with how they handled conditions last time. The pitch is likely to be even more spin-friendly this time around.

Weather conditions: Much like in the first Test, occasional storms could disrupt play at times. The weather clears up for the final two days and a result looks very possible.

Sri Lanka v England 2nd Test – Latest Odds

England are the favourites to win the second Test. They are priced at 2.0 with Funbet.

Sri Lanka can be backed at 2.5 with the same betting site. The draw is priced at 5.0.

Sri Lanka v England – Team News

• Dimuth Karunaratne – The Sri Lanka captain missed the first Test and has also been ruled of the second due to a hairline fracture of the thumb.
• Lahiru Thirimanne – The batsman is likely to continue at the top of the order in Karunaratne’s absence, especially after his 111 in the second innings of the first Test.
• Kusal Mendis – He has been short of form and has been dropped for this Test after four consecutive ducks and a score of 15 in his last five innings. Roshen Silva could replace him.
• Angelo Matthews – The middle-order batsman came back in the fold for Sri Lanka after missing the trip to South Africa. He continued his decent form against England with his 71 in the second innings in the previous game.
• Joe Root – The England captain showed his class with a double century in the previous match and will be eyeing more runs here.
• Moeen Ali – The Worcestershire all-rounder still misses out after previously testing positive for Coivd-19.
• James Anderson – England’s leading Test wicket-taker comes in for Stuart Broad as England rotate their experienced duo.

Sri Lanka v England 2nd Test – Betting Tips and Prediction

England took advantage of some poor shots from Sri Lanka in the first innings of the previous clash and never looked back except for a slight wobble when chasing down a low total for victory.

The form of Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow’s ability in these conditions and the emergence of Dan Lawrence were huge plus points for them.

Despite hardly any preparations, their spin attack of Jack Leach and Dom Bess also took wickets. A fresh James Anderson also comes into the bowling attack to boost them further.

They can be backed at 2.05 with bet365 to take the win, which looks too big.

Back Bairstow for More Value

Jonny Bairstow failed to take advantage of his good start in the first innings of the first Test but showed plenty of grit to see England home.

He clearly relishes these conditions and he can continue to shine without pace playing a big role.

The England openers have looked a little shaky and Bairstow can take the chance to bag more runs and help his selection claims ahead of the tour to India.

His price of 5.0 with Funbet to be England’s first innings batsman looks to be the value pick. Joe Root is the obvious danger to this bet but it’s worth siding with Bairstow at the prices.

Thirimanne to Top Score for Sri Lanka

Lahiru Thirimanne was excellent in the second innings of the first Test for Sri Lanka.

He hit 111 in difficult circumstances to keep his team in the match. He will have gained plenty of confidence from that and looks a good bet to be Sri Lanka’s top first innings batsman.

Opening partner Perera has been struggling for consistency and he can take advantage again, especially with skipper Dimuth Karunaratne missing out with injury.

His price of 5.5 with bet365 is too big given how well he battled in his last outing.

Read our round-up of the best bets for this match to help with your predictions.