England recall Ben Foakes and Keaton Jennings to Test squad for Sri Lanka tour

After resounding success in South Africa where they won the four-match series by 3-1, England is now scheduled to play a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. Last time they travelled the island nation, the Joe Root-led side had clean-swept the home side. And the hero of that series, Ben Foakes has been recalled to the side once again along with Keaton Jennings both of whom last played on West Indies tour last year.

Foakes had enjoyed a great run in his debut series in Sri Lanka and was the highest run-getter of the series having scored 277 runs in six innings. Jennings, on the same tour, was also at his best notching up 233 runs in six outings with a century. However, his selection is more due to Rory Burns’ unavailability who continues to recover from the ankle injury which he sustained while playing football in the warm-ups during South Africa series.

England will continue to miss James Anderson who wasn’t picked despite the pacer made himself available for selection. “Lancashire seamer James Anderson, who is recovering from a cracked rib sustained in January during the second Test in Cape Town against South Africa, will continue to condition and prepare ahead of the start of the English season,” the ECB press release stated.

Bairstow dropped; Moeen Ali unavailable

Jonny Bairstow who played only the first of the four Tests in South Africa has been dropped from the 16-man squad. Even Moeen Ali continues to be unavailable in the longest format of the game along with Adil Rashid who pulled his name out of the selection for not playing enough red-ball cricket in recent times. England will not have two out of their three spinners who were crucial to their 3-0 victory last time around.

The other spinner Jack Leach who picked 18 wickets in six innings last time around will lead the attack with Dom Bess and Matthew Parkinson assisting him. Jofra Archer has already been ruled out of the Sri Lanka series and wasn’t considered for the selection. The batting line-up will most likely remain the same after an impressive in South Africa while it remains to be seen if Jos Buttler will make it to the XI as Foakes is back in the XI now.

The first of the two-match Test series is set to commence on March 19 in Galle while the second game will get underway on March 27 in Colombo.

England’s Test squad for Sri Lanka tour: Joe Root (C), Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Keaton Jennings, Jack Leach, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.