Sri Lanka vs England – James Anderson

Lack of preparation time and warm-up matches is ‘not ideal’, Anderson suggests

James Anderson believes Sri Lanka may have a “slight advantage” going into their Test series against England later this month.

With Sri Lanka playing a two-Test series in South Africa and England’s red-ball specialists having not played since August, Anderson accepts his side’s preparation for this series is “not ideal”.

Instead of the period of acclimatisation which would normally precede such a series, England have had to content themselves with preparing in a large marquee at the national performance centre in Loughborough. They will also go into the first Test, which starts on January 14, without playing a competitive warm-up match.

England’s touring party are currently serving a quarantine period in individual hotel rooms in Hambantota. Subject to further negative tests, scheduled to be carried out on Tuesday morning, they will resume training that afternoon.