Foakes steadies the ship after England's chaotic approach backfires in Galle

SAM MORSHEAD: Ben Foakes came into his Test debut in Galle with a first-class average of more than 40 and a reputation for making tough runs at important times. Heaven knows, that is a character trait England desperately look for these days

Galle (first day of five): England 321-8 vs Sri Lanka

Ben Foakes had been waiting a long time for this chance, and those who have watched him regularly over the past few seasons will not be surprised that he grabbed it with both hands.

Foakes, of course, grabs most things with both hands. That’s the reason England sent for the Surrey wicketkeeper when Jonny Bairstow rolled his ankle playing football last month.

The 25-year-old is considered the finest glovemen on the county circuit and, on the turning dustbowls of Sri Lanka, his selection was the sensible move.

But Foakes is more than just an exceptional presence behind the stumps. He came into his Test debut in Galle with a first-class average of more than 40 - many of the back-up batsmen who have had their turn during the national team’s recent state of five-day flux got those chances with worse records - and a reputation for making tough runs at important times.

Heaven knows, that is a character trait England desperately look for these days. And when, right on cue, they needed it again here, their third keeper in three matches was primed and ready.

^{Ben Foakes and Sam Curran}

Following a bizarre first session during which the tourists took batting coach Graham Thorpe’s pledge to “cause some chaos” a little too seriously, there was a very real threat of total implosion at the hands of Sri Lanka’s spin attack.

Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Keaton Jennings all handed over their wickets carelessly after Suranga Lakmal had removed Rory Burns and Moeen Ali in successive balls early on to leave England 103 for five before lunch.

Foakes, though, was unperturbed. Alongside first Jos Buttler (38) and then Sam Curran (48) - who produced yet another spritely knock from No.8 - he ensured that in uncomfortably hot and humid conditions, the visitors did not melt away.

Making the most of a wealth of experience of Sri Lankan conditions - Foakes has been on two England Lions tours, an overseas placement, a training camp and an Under-19 trip since 2011 - the keeper picked Sri Lanka’s variations and showed his top-order colleagues that a little patience on a relatively benign surface could go a long way.

As he wandered off at the close, unbeaten on 87, sodden with sweat yet somehow still with barely a hair out of place, he had helped his country into a position of some comfort, if not real control.

^{Foakes made an excellent half-century}

That looked a long way off five hours earlier.

Burns looked at ease at the crease, getting off the mark with a wonderfully timed clip through midwicket off Lakmal, but the opener perished on nine when he feathered the Sri Lankan seamer to Dickwella down the legside.

Moeen followed the very next delivery, misjudging the line of a delivery from around the wicket which did little in either the air or off the pitch.

Root and Jennings rebuilt, taking the aggressive approach to the home side’s three frontline spinners and lifting the scoring rate to almost six runs per over across the first hour, but that bold mindset began having an adverse effect halfway through the session.

Root ran down the wicket to Herath, yorked himself and turned for the pavilion as the left-armer’s 100th victim in Tests at Galle before Jennings, who had been dropped on 21 by Angelo Mathews at slip, tried to cut Dilruwan Perera and ended up being bowled leg stump.

When Ben Stokes then tried to paddle sweep Perera from a foot outside his off only to lose his middle peg, England’s totally avoidable plight began to look terminal.

Fortunately for the visitors, in the shape of their two wicketkeepers they found a more considered perspective.

^{Rangana Herath celebrates the wicket of Joe Root}

Buttler and Foakes ditched the haphazard approach of their team-mates, choosing instead to settle into a more gentle rhythm, waiting for the short ball or the wide ball, and generally playing the long game.

The pair put on 61 in a little more than 20 overs before Buttler was superbly caught by Dickwella, low by his ankles off Perera, to send the vice-captain on his way for 38.

At 164 for six, Sri Lanka must have been thinking of skittling their opponents for less than 200.

Foakes and Curran ensured they remained nothing more than daydreams, though, compiling a partnership of 88 before Curran was caught at slip by Dinesh Chandimal off Akila Dananjaya.

Adil Rashid picked up where Curran left off, his natural inclination to attack allowing Foakes to comfortably rotate the strike.

The Yorkshire legspinner could not quite make it to the close, his breezy cameo of 35 - including two sixes - brought to an end by an edge to Dhananjaya de Silva off Perera but he had done his job.