England vs Sri Lanka: Top English players to watch out for in the test series

England is ready to face off against Sri Lanka in the first clash of a three-match home Test series. While the first match is scheduled to kick off on August 21 at Old Trafford in Manchester, England faces a significant challenge. Currently positioned in 7th place in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings, the Bazball-led England team faces the prospect of hosting the WTC Final in June 2025 without being a contender in the marquee event. If this scenario comes to pass, it would be the third time England has missed out on the WTC Final. Going up against 4th-ranked Sri Lanka, England will be without Ben Stokes, who is sidelined due to a hamstring injury. In Stokes’s absence, top-order batter and England’s vice-captain, Ollie Pope, has taken on the leading role.

A look at England team under Ollie Pope for Test series against Sri Lanka

While home conditions will favor England, the team needs to fire on all cylinders if they want to earn a fighting chance in the WTC standings. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, arrives in England in high spirits after securing an ODI series win against India for the first time in 27 years. Although the Lankans suffered a 7-wicket defeat in their only warm-up match against England Lions, they will look to capitalize on the absence of Ben Stokes and Zak Crawley. However, England's interim captain, Ollie Pope looked ready to counter the Lankan attack as he explained his stance on the series recently.

"I know they've won [against] India, but I think the main focus for us is on ourselves. We know that if we can go and play our best cricket then hopefully, that's enough. We'll respect them as a team. We don't underestimate anyone. Our target is to go out and win 3-0 but at the same time, we realise that Sri Lanka have got some good experience," Pope said.

The Sri Lanka tour of England promises a heated Test action with both England and Sri Lanka in need to prove their red-ball prowess. For England, the series will reflect the team's standing in absence of Ben Stokes in their Bazball era. Read below to find out the key players for England in the home test series against Sri Lanka starting on August 21.

Ollie Pope

The Sri Lanka Tour of England carries significant importance for Pope. The 26-year-old batter has the responsibility of leading the English team, with a chance to showcase his leadership skills across the three matches. Moreover, with Zak Crawley also absent from the series due to injury, Pope has the task of carrying the batting lineup alongside players like Harry Brook and Joe Root. Discussing his form ahead of the series, Pope explained that he’s been consistently honing his skills in the nets.

"Hopefully, it's almost a positive on my batting," he said. "I've still put in the hard work in the nets with the bat like I do for Test cricket. I'm still at No. 3 when it comes to batting, and my job for the team is still to go out and score big runs. When I had a bit of a stint in the T20 for Surrey, the first thing I reminded myself was, when it's batting time, it's batting time," Pope stated.

Pope enters the Test series against Sri Lanka following a commendable performance against West Indies in July, where he scored a 121-run century in Birmingham. While his recent outings suggest he is in top form, it remains to be seen if Ollie Pope can maintain his batting performance while shouldering the added responsibility of captaincy. 

Harry Brook

With Pope’s promotion to the leading role following Stokes’s injury, Brook has stepped up to fill the vice-captaincy position. Harry Brook’s emergence in Test cricket is one of the brightest stories to come out of England under Bazball. The 25-year-old became the fastest to reach a thousand Test runs in 2023, achieving the milestone in just 1,058 deliveries within a year of his debut. Brook has consequently cemented his place in the English middle order. Now, with an additional leadership role, much of the batting responsibility rests on Brook’s shoulders. Like Pope, Brook will take on Sri Lanka after a notable performance against West Indies, where he scored 109 against the guests in Nottingham.

Gus Atkinson

Gus Atkinson made a sensational Test debut for England in July against West Indies, where he took 22 wickets across the three matches. The Sri Lanka tour of England marks England’s first campaign without James Anderson in the lineup. Although Atkinson is still considered a newcomer, the upcoming series offers a perfect opportunity for him to establish himself in the team. If the 26-year-old pacer can maintain his excellent form against Sri Lanka, he will become a leading contender to form the core of England’s pace attack, especially with the exits of Broad and Anderson. Atkinson recorded a 7-wicket haul in his last match, dismantling the West Indies batting lineup at an average of 8.83 last month. Naturally, all eyes will be on Atkinson in the Test series against Sri Lanka, as he positions himself as an emerging pace sensation for England.