England Dominates First Day Against Sri Lanka Amid Weather Woes

England had a strong start in the first test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, ending day one with a significant lead of 214 runs. Sri Lanka struggled despite a resilient performance by captain Dhananjaya de Silva, who scored 74 runs. Bad light hindered both teams, leading to play being stopped.

England delivered a commanding performance on the first day of the test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford, closing with a 214-run lead after bad light halted play.

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva opted to bat, but his side faltered early, collapsing to 80-5 by lunch despite his valiant 74-run effort. England's disciplined bowling, led by Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir, restricted Sri Lanka to 236 runs.

England, missing regular captain Ben Stokes, capitalized on favorable pitch conditions with Ben Duckett and Dan Lawrence leading an unbroken opening stand. Bad light forced a strategic use of spinners late in the day, but the hosts' position remains strong.