Former England captain Nasser Hussain compared the current Sri Lankan team to the yesteryears, saying the massive gap on all fronts after Day 3 of the first Test in Manchester also. Hussain also recalled how Kumar Sangakkara would keep sledging him consistently during his cricketing time.

In his column for The Daily Mail, the veteran commented, “I think of the Sri Lanka side I played against and their attention to detail was on another level. They are the nicest, meekest, calmest people off the field but once you got on the field, players like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene would be at you all the time. Kumar would chirp all sorts behind me like ‘Enjoy your last Test match’.”

Meanwhile, Jamie Smith, who made his debut against the West Indies in the last series, struck his maiden Test hundred as well. The Surrey batter came in at 187-5 and helped England gain a 122-run lead as well. Hussain also opined on the presence of lethargy and sloppiness on the third morning from Sri Lanka and shared that the tourists will look back at it if they lose the Test as well.

He added in his column: “If Sri Lanka lose this Test, they will look at the first hour on Friday and ask themselves if they were completely switched on and ready, because it was such a contrast to the fight they showed across the first two days. Test cricket is like an arm wrestle — you can’t drop your concentration at any stage — and I thought they were sloppy and lethargic in the morning. They were almost not ready for the start of play.”