Your complete guide to England's first series of their home summer against the opponents Australia will face next in Test cricket
England v Sri Lanka: All you need to know
What: England kick-start their home summer with a three-Test series against Sri Lanka.
When: The first Test begins this Thursday, 11am local time (8pm AEST) at Headingley, Leeds. It will be closely followed by the second Test in Durham on May 27, and the third Test at Lord's from June 9.
The squads
England: Alastair Cook (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Stuart Broad, Nick Compton, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Vince.
Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Dhammika Prasad, Dilruwan Perera, Dimuth Karunaratne, Dinesh Chandimal, Dushmantha Chameera, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne, Milinda Siriwardana, Niroshan Dickwella, Nuwan Pradeep, Rangana Herath, Shaminda Eranga, Suranga Lakmal (first Test 12 to be named).
The form: England had an impressive away series victory over South Africa in January-February, defeating the struggling Proteas 2-1. Ben Stokes smashed the fastest 250 in history in a quite astonishing display, while Stuart Broad was the best of England's bowlers with 18 wickets at 20 across the four Tests. Superstar batsman Joe Root was also a standout, plundering a century and three fifties and averaging 55 for the series.
Sri Lanka's recent travails have been less successful. Their last tour was to New Zealand over the Christmas period and the Black Caps prevailed pretty comfortably in both Tests, claiming the series 2-0. Dushmantha Chameera took nine wickets in the second Test to confirm his reputation as one of the island nation's best young talents, while no Sri Lankan batsman made a hundred across the two Tests; Dinesh Chandimal led the way with 192 runs at 48 and a top score of 83.
The players to watch: Root is in the top echelon of batsmen in the game today and looks likely to cash in on his home pitches through seven Tests against subcontintental opposition this summer. There was some talk the right-hander from Yorkshire would be pushed up to No.3 by England coach Trevor Bayliss, however he's keen to stay at four for now and it looks as though he'll have his way.
For Sri Lanka, Dimuth Karunaratne hit form with a timely hundred at the top of the order in the warm-up match against Leicestershire. The 28-year-old has been a consistent performer for his domestic side Sinhalese in first-class cricket in recent months, and it will be critical that he performs against England's high-quality new-ball attack.
The injury: Sri Lanka have been dealt a pretty hefty blow with the confirmed loss of Dhammika Prasad for at least the first Test. Prasad is one of the more experienced members of their side with 25 Tests to his name and a fine record of 75wickets.
The last time they met: Sri Lanka are the last team to beat England in England. The two sides met in an epic two-Test series in June 2014 and after a drawn opener, the visitors won a classic second match with just one ball to spare at Headingley. Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews was one of the heroes of the occasion, making a stunning second-innings 160, while the best with the ball was none other than Prasad, who took five second-innings wickets to bowl Sri Lanka to one of their finest Test match wins of recent times.
The coverage: Fox Sports has confirmed it will broadcast the series. For the many without access to Fox Sports subscription service, cricket.com.au will continue its comprehensive ball-by-ball live scoring service for the tour as well as daily news and features coverage from our team on the ground.
What they said
"If we build on how we played in the winter then there's no doubt we can win 3-0. Home conditions against a rebuilding Sri Lanka provides a great opportunity for us but it’s important we concentrate on ourselves. If we do get everything right then there's no doubt in my mind we'll win." – James Anderson, speaking to the Daily Mail UK.
"As we have gone along players have started to find their feet and find a bit of form. Every day, there is someone new who is starting to look like he's feeling a bit more settled in English conditions. Hopefully with a bit more work the boys will have some good belief about what they can do. It is going to be about mental toughness and handling pressure when the Test starts on Thursday." – Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford.
The tip: England 3-0. Bayliss's side is on the up, and Sri Lanka appear to be on the wane. England are ranked fourth in the world at present but could state a case that they're a better side than that. With Root, Ben Stokes, a rejuvenated Cook and an evergreen strike pair in James Anderson and Broad, they're a force to be reckoned with, particularly on home turf, as the Australians discovered last year. Sri Lanka meanwhile, have slipped to seventh and are continuing to adjust to live without their superstars Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. They'll be hoping some of their young players can turn potential into performance on this tour.