Galle being Galle, Sri Lanka legends weigh in and Anderson delivers...TEST MATCH TALKING POINTS

NICK HOWSON and NICK FRIEND: England were left to toil after a gruelling first day of the second Test as Sri Lanka took advantage of bat-friendly conditions

Sri Lanka v England: Second Test scorecard

Ed Smith: "Selection principles have to flex given the circumstances"

Anderson aids England rotation policy

After Stuart Broad's hugely impressive display in the first Test, where aside from his three first-innings wickets he bowled 10 maidens with unerring control, it was the turn of James Anderson following his recall from the seven-wicket win last week.

The 38-year-old would be the first to admit he has been out-bowled by his new-ball mate over the last few years - home and away.

But there is no daylight between England's leading Test wicket-takers here, after Anderson produced a morning burst to rival his best in the sub-continent. The pair now have combined figures of 45-24-58-6 during this series.

Behind the records, the relentlessness of his brilliance and longevity it can be easily forgotten that the Burnley seamer remains one of the most skilful bowlers on the planet.

Anderson can't rock up in these conditions, put the ball on a length and expect the edges to follow. He needs craft and cunning to have success.

Bowling well short of what would be generally be described to be his natural length, Anderson put the ball in areas to allow Sri Lanka to spark their own downfall.

Kusal Perera was obliging, playing a ridiculous shot and only finding the hands of Joe Root. It was something out of last week's 135 all out.

The penultimate delivery of the fifth over produced another fortuitous dismissal, yet one which was a tribute to Anderson's planning. He went short again and the returning Oshada Fernando butted the ball onto his own stumps.

Anderson's first five-over spell went for just four runs, his second for 10. Two balls into his salvo after lunch got a third scalp of the day as Lahiru Thirimanne edged behind to a ball which just did a little off an otherwise turgid pitch.

This winter will, of course, be a grind for the seamers. Long passages of play will unfold with little or no impact from the quicks, and England will be eager to ensure they remain fresh, particularly Broad and Anderson.

It is no surprise to see them rotated for this series, and that may remain the case when Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes return in India. You can see a scenario where each plays two of the four Tests.

It is therefore reassuring, not that we really needed another reminder, to see Anderson follow-up Broad with a fruitful return out of his comfort zone.

Jimmy so far today 👀

⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺
⏺⏺⏺⏺1️⃣1️⃣
☝️⏺⏺⏺☝️⏺
⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺1️⃣
⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺1️⃣
⏺☝️2️⃣⏺⏺⏺
⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺⏺#SLvENG pic.twitter.com/26cBbE4uSv

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) January 22, 2021

Classic Galle

If the start to last week's Test at the International Stadium was a bit of a highlight reel, this contest has begun in much-more familiar fashion.

As hopeless as Sri Lanka's first innings display in the opening Test was, it immediately injected some excitement and intrigue into the contest. And it made their fightback across the final three days all the more impressive.

But having won the toss on the first morning of the concluding match, Dinesh Chandimal could barely wait for his side to get batting.

The fresh surface looked as flat as a pancake before play, underneath blue skies, and though the overheads grew murky, it remained that way for the duration.

Two mistakes gave England wickets in the fifth over, but otherwise, they had to work hard for anything remotely resembling success.

The benign conditions allowed Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal to play their way into form without alarm. With the ball showing no sign of gripping, Jack Leach and Dom Bess were ineffective. Against the backdrop of Broad and Anderson's joy, the front-line spinners finished 0-120 at the close and offered little control, not to mention threat.

It took a clever delivery from Mark Wood wide on the crease to end that 117-run fourth-wicket stand, and you can't help but feel more graft will be required this winter to ensure today isn't repeated.

In 34 innings, the first innings average at Galle stands at 368 with six declarations in amongst the list. Just under half of teams have gone past 400 first time around. Once the shine comes off the second new ball, the writing could be on the wall for England.

^{Sri Lanka couldn't wait to bat after winning the toss}

Jayawardene and Sangakkara analyse

International cricket is one of the most exposed and unforgiving environments in modern-era sport. 

Once you enter the arena your technique, successes and failures are suddenly on display for everyone to see.

Your idiosyncrasies are unpicked, slowed down and scrutinised in a public forum.

Cricket is now a 24/7 Big Brother house. The video analysts don't miss a beat these days. Brilliant for the viewer, but it must be excruciating for the players involved.

For Sri Lanka, against the backdrop of their own attempts to find a way at the highest level is the success of the legends that have gone before.

Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara are playing a supplementary role during the TV coverage of this series, dropping in analysis from their remote positions. They provide a nice balance.

As soon as a batsman makes a mistake they're thrust under the microscope by a hero of the sport. It is a tough existence.

Jayawardene and Sangakkara are fair observers. They do not lash out with emotive lines and their role is not to overly-criticise those players next in line. They're constructive without venturing into bias.

But it is a difficult environment for this group of Sri Lanka players, many of whom are still trying to find their feet at this level. Mathews and Chandimal have 22 Test centuries between them, more than four times as many as the rest of this XI.

There is no place to hide as they attempt to make progress.

^{Lahiru Thirimanne scored 43 but was once again dismissed by Anderson}

Anderson reunited with his bunny, Thirimanne with his nemesis

A decade separates Thirimanne’s first meeting with Anderson and his most recent. And in that time, Test cricket’s leading seamer has maintained an inexorable hold over the Sri Lankan left-hander, whose international career has been a combination of fits and starts.

It is a marker of Anderson’s longevity – as well as the curiosity of Thirimanne’s – that he has had him caught over the years by Andrew Strauss, Graeme Swann, Chris Jordan, Sam Robson, Nick Compton and – today – by Jos Buttler.

Of Anderson’s 603 Test wickets, only David Warner, Michael Clarke, Sachin Tendulkar, Peter Siddle and Azhar Ali have been more frequent victims.

At first, Thirimanne – coming into this game on the back of a second Test century in the series’ first instalment – played his nemesis well, reaching 43 at lunch.

But as so often when the pair have crossed paths, it was Anderson who had the last laugh.

Images courtesy of Sri Lanka Cricket

Sri Lanka | International | England match centre | England | 1Banner |