by England head into the final Test of the summer against Sri Lanka looking to make it six wins from six and record their first perfect record since 2004.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the main talking points at the Kia Oval.
A betting shell
England have made another major selection gamble by signing 20-year-old Josh Hull, who has taken just 16 wickets at an average of 62.75 in his brief first-class career. The 6ft 1in Leicestershire left-hander has taken just two wickets in three games in the County Championship Division Two this year at an average of 182.50, but has physical attributes that set him apart from the rest. England’s recent record with debutant bowlers has been exceptional – with Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Josh Tongue, Tom Hartley and Gus Atkinson all taking five wickets on their first Test appearance. Can Hull follow their example?
Branching root
1️⃣ Sachin Tendulkar – 15921 runs⬆️ Joe Root – 12377 runs
Are you keeping an eye on Sachin’s record, Joe? 👀
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 31, 2024
Joe Root continued his fine season with a record 2,000 runs at Lord’s. Not only did he extend his lead at the top of the ICC batsmen’s rankings, he also overtook Sir Alastair Cook as England’s leading Test centurion by taking his career tally to 34. The 33-year-old is now just 96 runs away from surpassing Cook’s national record of 12,472 and replacing his former England team-mate in fifth place on the all-time list. With 350 runs in the series so far and six Test centuries against Sri Lanka at an impressive average of 67.55, Root will have a good chance of continuing his dominance over the tourists and surpassing Cook’s mark.
Pope seeks home comforts
Ollie Pope has won two straight since replacing the injured Ben Stokes as captain but things have not gone to plan with the bat. The number three has scored just 30 runs in four innings and has been guilty of a couple of careless dismissals. Former England captain Michael Vaughan has questioned Pope’s long-term suitability for the role but some of the pressure would be taken off with a big score. There is nowhere he would rather be than at the Kia Oval, a ground where he has an outstanding record with Surrey. With an average of 53.66 in two Tests on his home track and a top score of 81, he has high hopes.
Lawrence light on races
Pope is not the only batter struggling to score, with Surrey team-mate Dan Lawrence yet to seize the opportunity created by Zak Crawley’s broken finger at the top of the order. Lawrence has played in the England team for the last four years without scoring a consistent run and was unlucky to have that opportunity come his way as an opener. A natural middle-order batter, his return of 80 runs in four visits has raised more questions than answers. With places up for grabs on the upcoming tour of Pakistan, he must do more to stay at the top of the order.
One last chance for Sri Lanka batsmen
Sri Lanka arrived in England with an experienced batting group and a handful of key men averaging over 40 in Test cricket. But Dimuth Karunaratne, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal and captain Dhananjaya de Silva have all coped with the tough conditions in England. The quartet have all made half-centuries, but newcomer Kamindu Mendis has eclipsed them all. He averages 50.75 so far, with 113 at Old Trafford and 74 at Lord’s. He was tipped to move up the rankings after his strong performances, but De Silva expects to keep him in seventh place.
