Ever since selectors tried out Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya as the team’s openers in 1997 against India, the ploy brought the Sri Lankans rich dividends as the pair turned out to be one of the most successful opening combinations in the world. Atapattu and Jayasuriya were what Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes were for the West Indies and they formed several match winning partnerships.

Both batsmen hardly had any peers in their trade as well and their contrasting styles suited the team too. But their retirements within a Test Match will be a severe blow for the Sri Lankans and to continue in the winnings ways, Sri Lanka needs to sort out the openers’ positions pretty quickly.

Upul Tharanga will be the natural successor to Jayasuriya and although he has a long way to go, the early promise will make the selectors back him and he will begin the new era opening the batting for the country alongside Michael Van Dort in the remaining two Test Matches against England.

Sri Lanka’s selectors just named 13 players for the second Test at the SSC starting tomorrow and Tharanga is expected to be the only change in place of the retired Jayasuriya.

With a 100 in Edgbaston last year and a well compiled 82 in Brisbane will make the selectors to persist with Van Dort for he has earned his place. During the first Test, coach Trevor Bayliss stressed the importance of being patient with the younger players as the gap between club cricket and Test cricket is quite big and it’s presumed that both players will be persisted with during the series.

Jehan Mubarak though will be under a bit of pressure after scoring a duck and nine in the first Test. Although he was highly rated by former coach Tom Moody, Mubarak needs to convert promise into performance in a highly competitive circuit.

Kumar Sangakkara, who became the first Sri Lankan to top the ICC Rankings for batsmen on Thursday, is set to become only the fourth Sri Lankan to score 6000 Test runs in the second Test Match that starts on Sunday. Sangakkara needs 15 more runs to get to the milestone. Sanath Jayasuriya (6973), Mahela Jayawardene (6863) and Aravinda de Silva (6361) are the only players to score over 6000 runs in Tests for Sri Lanka.

England have an injury worry with fast bowler Matthew Hoggard down with a back injury and Steve Harmison, who missed the first Test with injury, is likely to take his place.

The SSC is also a favourite hunting ground for the Sri Lankans as they have lost only three games in this venue in the last 11 years. Of the 25 Tests played here since 1996, Sri Lanka have won 13 games and drawn six.