The reasons behind England’s recent success away from home are “not rocket science,” says head coach Chris Silverwood; Olly Stone was “excited” but no decisions were made about a seam attack for the second Test in Sri Lanka; watch the second Test from 4am, Friday on Sky Sports Cricket
By Sam Drury
Last updated: 19/01/21 3:52 pm
Olly Stone could join England XI for second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle
England head coach Chris Silverwood says he is excited by fast bowler Olly Stone but could not confirm whether he will join the XI for the second Test in Sri Lanka.
With the first of five trials – four of them in India – in the six weeks starting Friday, Silverwood recognized that it was very likely that the seam attack would be reversed in Galle.
Chris Woakes, who had to be self-absorbed and lost much of his time up until the first game, is available for re-selection and joins James Anderson and England’s top catcher pushing for instead of leaving out the series opener.
The Tourists could pick a completely different distance attack and leave Stuart Broad, Sam Curran and Mark Wood out this week, but Silverwood says a final decision has not yet been made.
“I am excited about it,” he said of Stone, who did not have the same test view before Lord against Ireland in 2019. “We have an Archer Wood, Stone and (Jofra) who can all hit 90mph-plus and I think it’s great to have that in your arsenal.
Sri Lanka vs England
January 22, 2021, 4:00 am
Live on 
“What we have seen from Olly is that he hits the deck hard, bowls at speed and gets better and better with the fields he bowls, his understanding of what he’s bowling. try to do it and the plans he implements.
“But there are really good people around to help him do that too, Jimmy and Broady are very good at sharing their knowledge and it’s great to learn from them. I’m really glad people like Olly us.
“We’re talking about that different attack and getting everyone healthy and preying to go, at some point we may have to take it off. into the attack if we can.But again, you have to win it, which it does.
“He’s working hard, he’s doing everything we ask of him from a training perspective so it would be nice to get some test experience into him at some point.”
Whether that opportunity comes in the second Test, he said: “Maybe, here or in India; wherever it is.”
2:59 Selection from day five of the first Test when England postponed the last 36 runs needed to beat Sri Lanka
Dom Bess and Jack Leach are expected to continue as England’s spinning options with Silverwood confirming that Moeen Ali, who emerged from quarantine halfway through the first Test after a positive test for coronavirus, is unlikely to be available. due to the strict protocols in place for the series.
England have turned their fortunes away from home since Silverwood took over as head coach in the autumn of 2019 and into the second Test in Sri Lanka aiming for a fifth straight win on the road.
You have to go back to the mid-1950s for the last time England won four away Tests in a row but Silverwood insists there is no big story of their recent success.
“It’s not rocket science, that’s exactly what I said when I really got into the job: big first-innings runs then countering under pressure with skillful bowling,” he said. to reporters.
2:53 Joe Root ‘very pleased’ with England’s start to a busy year as they beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the first Test
“One of the things we’ve done with the bat now is a score of 400 or go more than that many times, I think it’s six times in 12 innings which shows that we were building towards what we said we were going to do.
“With the ball, we’ve been non-stop. This is what we did in South Africa and it worked there. We’re looking at being non-stop again this winter. , good areas, difference in attack.It is not rocket science, it just becomes really, really good at doing the basics well and then implementing the plans that we put in place. “
Watch day one of the second Test between Sri Lanka and England live on Sky Sports Cricket from 4am on Friday.