'Worst advertisement for Test cricket': Michael Vaughan calls Sri Lanka's batting effort 'utter garbage' vs England

Former England captain Michael Vaughan made no attempts to hide his disappointments after average display of batting by Sri Lanka on Day 1 of the first Test against England. Sri Lanka were bowled out for 135 in 46.1 overs after opting to bat first.

Vaughan took to Twitter and called Sri Lanka’s first innings ‘the worst possible advertisement for Test cricket’. What happened in Sri Lanka’s first innings felt like ‘utter garbage’ to the former England batsman.

“Those 46.1 overs have been the worst possible advertisement for Test Cricket ... it’s supposed to be the pinnacle ... that was utter garbage Sri Lanka ... #SLvENG ... anyway time for a brew,” Vaughan tweeted.

Those 46.1 overs have been the worst possible advertisement for Test Cricket ... it’s supposed to be the pinnacle ... that was utter garbage Sri Lanka ... #SLvENG ... anyway time for a brew #OnOn

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) January 14, 2021

Stuart Broad (3-20) picked up two early wickets in one over before Bess found some unexpected assistance from the Galle International Stadium wicket to dismiss the home team just before tea.

Bess, playing in Asia for the first time, took his first wicket with his second delivery when Kusal Perera went for an ambitious reverse sweep and gloved a simple catch to skipper Joe Root at first slip.

Lahiru Thirimanne (4), replacing Karunaratne as an opener, was outsmarted by some intelligent field placing by Root early on.

Broad, bowling around the wicket, had the left-hander Thirimanne caught at leg slip in his fourth over. One ball later, Kusal Mendis fell for his fourth successive score of zero in test matches as he got a faint edge off Broad’s brilliant leg-cutter.

Senior pros -- Chandimal and Angelo Mathews -- shared a 56-run fourth-wicket stand before both departed in successive overs after lunch.

Mathews scored 27 and reached a milestone when he became only the fifth Sri Lankan batsman to pass 6,000 test runs, joining Kumar Sangakkara (12,400), Mahela Jayawardene (11,814), Sanath Jayasuriya (6,973), Aravinda de Silva (6,361).

But the former skipper was outdone by Broad after the break when he went for a lose shot and Root took a sharp, chest-high catch at slip.

In the next over, Chandimal, who completed 4,000 runs in test matches, offered a tame catch in the covers off Jack Leach before Bess ran through the tail quickly.

Sri Lanka packed its playing XI with three spinners -- Wanindu Hasaranga, Dilruwan Perera and Lasith Embuldeniya -- with Asitha Fernando as the sole specialist fast bowler.

England gave a Test cap to Essex's 23-year-old batsman Dan Lawrence, who dropped an easy catch of Chandimal in the covers just before lunch. The visitors opted to rest James Anderson and picked Sam Curran and Mark Wood to partner Broad upfront with the new ball.

In reply, England went to stumps at 127 for 2 with captain Joe Root (66) and Jonny Bairstow (47) at the crease.

(With agency inputs)