Eoin Morgan, former England white-ball captain, has questioned the decision-making of England’s team management and stand-in captain Ollie Pope after they chose to halt play early due to bad light on the third day of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s. The decision came despite England’s dominant position in the match and has sparked debate over their approach.
England had Sri Lanka at 24 for 1 when umpires determined the light was too poor for fast bowlers. Pope responded by bringing on spinners Shoaib Bashir and Joe Root for a brief period before the seamers, Matthew Potts and Olly Stone, returned. However, after dismissing Pathum Nissanka, the bad light persisted, leading Pope to withdraw his team with 22 overs still remaining in the day’s play.
Morgan expressed his disappointment with the decision, suggesting that England missed an opportunity to press their advantage. He highlighted that Sri Lanka had promoted tailender Prabath Jayasuriya to No. 4, a move signaling their intent to simply survive until the close of play. “Everything was in England’s favour,” Morgan said. “You’re bowling at a No. 9 with runs to play with and multiple new balls at your disposal. I question the decision to come off the field.”
The early finish left the Lord’s crowd, who had come to see an exciting conclusion to the day’s play, heading home early. Joe Root acknowledged the fans’ disappointment, reiterating England’s commitment to entertaining their supporters. However, the decision has intensified scrutiny on Ollie Pope’s captaincy, with some questioning whether he has the temperament for the role.
Despite Sri Lanka’s uphill battle, requiring 430 more runs for victory, their batting coach Ian Bell remains hopeful that his team can save the match. Bell praised the resilience shown by the Sri Lankan players and emphasized the importance of the first hour on the fourth day.
As the debate over England’s tactics continues, all eyes will be on how the team approaches the remaining two days of the Test, with the potential series victory in sight.
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