Mumbai, August 18: England will lock horns with Sri Lanka in the first Test of the three-match series. The match will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester starting on Wednesday. Ahead of the clash, let's take a look at the players to watch out in this fixture. Ben Stokes Ruled Out for Remainder of Summer, Ollie Pope To Captain England in ENG vs SL Test Series 2024.

1. Ollie Pope 

Ollie Pope (Photo Credit: Twitter/@englandcricket)

Right-hand batter Ollie Pope is set to lead the England side in the absence of regular skipper Ben Stokes. He played brilliantly in the last series against West Indies where he scored a century.

2. Kusal Mendis

Kusal Mendis (Photo Credit: Twitter/@Sports_Himanshu)

Right-hand batter Kusal Mendis is known for playing important knocks for his national side. He has scored 4112 runs in 63 matches at an average of 36.07 with the best score of 245.

3. Gus Atkinson 

Gus Atkinson (Photo credit: Instagram @gusatkinson)

Gus Atkinson made a fantastic first impression in his first Test, bagging 12 wickets, which included a five-for in each innings. The 26-year-old ran through the West Indies batting order to record incredible figures of 7/45 in the first innings, bundling out the visitors for just 121.

4. Pathum Nissanka

Pathum Nissanka (Photo credit: Twitter @OfficialSLC)

Pathum Nissanka is one of the best batters of Sri Lanka in the modern era. The right-hand batter has so far amassed 537 runs in the 9 matches he has played so far in the longest format of the game with the best score of 103. Ian Bell Appointed As Batting Coach of Sri Lanka For Upcoming Three-Test Match Series In England.

5. Joe Root 

Joe Root (Photo credit: X @englandcricket)

Joe Root achieved a major landmark during the series as he moved past West Indies icon Brian Lara's 11,953 runs in the list of all-time highest run scorers in the format. Root is now the seventh-highest run-scorer in Test cricket.