Can England level the test series against Sri Lanka

England and Sri Lanka clash in the 3rd and final Test match in this series from the tsunami-ravaged city of Galle. After such a long wait, international cricket finally returns to this region in what will provide a tremendous boost to the spirits of the local fans. Being a new surface, the pitch will be a little bit of a mystery for both teams, so it will be very interesting to see how this Test plays out.

England have been toying with the idea of playing Graeme Swann as a spin partner for Monty Panesar in a five man bowling attack that would see the in-form Matt Prior pushed up the order to number six. This illustrates how desperate England are to take 20 wickets in a match for the first time this series, however recent heavy rains are unlikely to provide the dry surface required for dual spinners.

There is also a concern over the depth in the English batting lineup with no batsman being able to register three figures in this series so far. Kevin Pietersen has been unable to reach a half-century this series, and another failure in Galle will leave the superstar batsman without a fifty in a Test series for the first time in his international career.

Sri Lanka on the other hand will be looking for another victory to jump to number two in the official Test rankings – still trailing Australia but jumping ahead of both South Africa and India. Their trump card will once again be Muttiah Muralitharan who has picked up an incredible 87 wickets in 11 previous contests at his favourite ground.

With the bat, Sri Lanka look set to include Tillakaratne Dilshan who will bat at number six at the expense Jehan Mubarak. Skipper Mahela Jayawardene will also look to continue his devastating form at the Galle ground where he has previously scored three centuries and six half-centuries, including a massive score of 237 against South Africa in 2004.

It will be an emotional game for Sri Lanka as they return to Galle for the first time in three years and attempt to grab the official number two Test ranking. Punters will need to keep one eye on the weather report as rain will probably influence this match at some stage, but once they get out on the field Sri Lanka should have the goods and are certainly worth a bet at PartyBets.

• 
• 
• Email to a friend
• Print