Dhananjaya de Silva noted the pitch's dryness and predicted it would turn later in the game. Meanwhile, Ollie Pope, captain of England, suggested they might have bowled first but agreed it was a good pitch for batting in the early stages.
There was excitement over the team selection as Dan Lawrence and Matthew Potts returned for England, while Sri Lanka surprised many with their debut for Milan Rathnayake instead of expected fast bowler Lahiru Kumara.
In a touching moment, tributes were paid to the late Graham Thorpe, with Nasser Hussain visibly emotional as he shared memories of Thorpe’s kindness during difficult times.
Alison Kervin recalled fond memories of Graham Thorpe, sharing a story of his kindness when he offered to look after her child during an interview, showcasing his character.
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