NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva sees an opportunity for his team as Ben Stokes' injury sidelines the star England all-rounder in their upcoming Test series.
The three-match campaign starts Wednesday at Old Trafford, with Sri Lanka coming off a defeat against an England Lions team in their lone warm-up fixture.
England, meanwhile, are buoyed by a recent 3-0 series win over the West Indies.
Despite having only three victories from their past 18 Tests in England, Sri Lanka is optimistic.
Stokes’ absence due to a hamstring tear sustained in the Hundred tournament has forced England to appoint Ollie Pope as captain and recall pace bowler Matthew Potts.
"He is the balance of their side," said De Silva of Stokes while speaking during a pre-match press conference at Old Trafford on Tuesday. "He's the key player for them, when it comes to bowling, batting, everything."
The changes continue for England with the selection of new opening batsman Dan Lawrence, following Zak Crawley’s exclusion due to a finger injury.
"A new guy (Lawrence) comes in to play… there will be pressure on him, coming back into the side to open in these conditions," De Silva added.
"We have quality seamers in our side and we have a world-class spinner with us (Prabath Jayasuriya). If he comes into the game in the second innings, we feel we have a good chance to win the game."
Sri Lanka’s team for the first Test will include debutant pace bowler Milan Rathnayake, as announced on Tuesday.
Adding to their strategy, Sri Lanka has roped in former England batsman Ian Bell as a consultant for the series. De Silva emphasized the value Bell brings given his extensive experience playing Tests and one-day cricket in England.
"He was a quality player who played a lot of Test cricket and one-day cricket in England," said De Silva. "His points will be valuable for us and as a batting unit, we are all getting tips from him."
Sri Lanka team for first Test: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Dinesh Chandimal (wkt), Kamindu Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Milan Rathnayake, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando
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