England may come into the second Test against Sri lanka in Durham on the back of a crushing win in the series opener, but according to Stuart Broad the hosts have still to hit top form.
Propelled by a hundred from Jonny Bairstow and match figures of 10 for 45 from James Anderson, England thrashed Sri lanka by an innings and 88 runs in the first Test at Headingley last week to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.
But Broad, still the world’s number one ranked Test bowler, said there was no danger of England letting up when the second Test starts at north-east county Durham’s Riverside headquarters on Thursday.
England will have to make at least one change after Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes was ruled out of playing on his home ground with a knee injury suffered at Headingley.
Warwickshire’s Chris Woakes, a like for like replacement, was called into the England squad on Monday and promptly took a career-best nine for 36 against Durham at Edgbaston.
England also have the option of giving a debut to Broad’s uncapped Nottinghamshire team-mate Jake Ball, with the paceman having also been in the squad at Headingley.
Sri lanka are badly in need of runs from their top order after being skittled out twice in leeds. Kusal Mendis’s second-innings fifty was a rare highlight but with more grey skies promising to aid the quicks, the tourists are set for another difficult match.
Sl too will have to make an enforced change, with Suranga lakmal set to replace injured Dushmantha Chameera.
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