Combative Curran dazzles again to rescue England in Pallekele

SAM MORSHEAD: Curran went about his work with impunity, happy to use his feet to the spinners and show off his power-packing potential with six sixes - an England record in Sri Lanka. Only four Englishmen have managed more in a single innings

Pallekele (first day of five): England 285, Sri Lanka 26-1 - Sri Lanka trail by 259 runs with nine first-innings wickets remaining

On days like this it is hard to remember that Sam Curran is only 20 years old.

Such is the England allrounder’s extraordinary natural ability, though, experience and age barely seem to matter. Curran is a rare talent - a man only just about old enough to hold an undergraduate degree teaching even the oldest, wisest minds in Test cricket a thing or two about how the game can and should be played.

Once again on the opening day in Pallekele, just as had been the case against India at both Edgbaston and the Ageas Bowl in the summer, the Surrey livewire produced a counter-punching, tubthumping innings to elevate his country from a position of some concern to one of borderline superiority.

England were 165 for six, having won the toss, midway through the afternoon session of the second Test and fumbling their way towards mediocrity when Curran walked to the crease.

^{Sam Curran celebrates his fifty}

They were 225 for nine on a pitch which offers plenty to the spinners when he was joined by Jimmy Anderson.

That the tourists’ first innings closed on 285 was down entirely to the calculated bravado of England’s little gem at No.8.

Having taken 65 balls to reach 16, he suddenly cranked up the volume and finished with 64 from 119. It was a burst of noise which disturbed Sri Lanka.

Curran went about his work with impunity, happy to use his feet to the spinners and show off his power-packing potential with six sixes - an England record on the subcontinental island. Only four men have managed more in a single innings.

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What a showman this young man is.

That said, Sri Lanka did not help themselves.

Anderson was dropped by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella without scoring, Malinda Pushpakumara shelled a fairly simple catch in the deep off Curran and peculiar tactics allowed him to steal the strike towards the end of an over with alarming regularity.

Still, that should not detract from the quality of the innings.

Combined with Jos Buttler’s 63, made almost entirely on the sweep, and an observant 43 at the top of the order from Rory Burns, England had something to play with. By the end they had the upper hand, with Jack Leach removing Kaushal Silva. They had an awful lot to thank Curran for.

^{Sri Lanka had an up and down day in the field}

After his long vigil in Galle, Keaton Jennings’ stay at the crease was considerably shorter in Pallekele. Suranga Lakmal, the acting Sri Lanka captain while Dinesh Chandimal recovers from a groin injury, tempted the opener into a nibble outside off stump. Niroshan Dickwella held a simple catch.

Ben Stokes’ elevation to No.3 brought a promising innings, full of control against the spin, but he was beaten by a sharply turning delivery from Dilruwan Perera and eventually given lbw following a trip to the DRS.

Root, too, got a start, reaching 14 in double quick time only to be bowled between bat and pad by Pushpakumara. England were 65 for three.

Cue Buttler.

Sweeping with the intensity of an embittered street cleaner, the Lancashire batsman took an aggressive approach to the spinning ball.

Quickly identifying that a straight bat was not his friend on this particular wicket, Buttler relied on the conventional, reverse and paddle sweep to keep the scoreboard ticking over, and with some effect.

^{Ben Foakes reacts to being dismissed}

Burns could not see himself through until lunch, steering Akila Dananjaya to Dhananjaya de Silva at slip on 43, but Buttler did. And in the moments after the interval he reached his half-century, made from exactly 50 balls.

Moeen Ali fell lbw to Pushpakumara, another decision coming via TV replays, while Ben Foakes curiously walked off after being given out caught at slip despite Ultra Edge suggesting he had not made contact with bat on ball, and England would have been hoping that Buttler could reach three figures to take his side towards some sort of imposing total.

That was not to be.

Eventually, the sweep let him down, and he popped up a gentle catch to point off Pushpakumara. England were in danger of being bowled out for less than 200 but Rashid and Curran had other ideas.

The pair shared in an eighth-wicket partnership of 45 in 15 overs to give some semblance of respectability to the scoreline, with Rashid making 29 before he was pinned lbw on the back leg by Perera.

Jack Leach soon followed, bowled by Dananjaya, before the fireworks began.