England faces Sri Lanka in crucial 3rd Test showdown

The third Test between England and Sri Lanka is set to take place at the Oval on Friday, with England already having secured the series. In the previous Test at Lord's, England triumphed by 190 runs, thanks to remarkable performances from Joe Root and Gus Atkinson. Root achieved centuries in both innings, marking a significant milestone in his career, while Atkinson contributed with a century and five wickets, earning him the man of the match award. Despite the absence of captain Ben Stokes, England has shown dominance over Sri Lanka, who have struggled throughout the series. Ollie Pope, who has captained England in Stokes' absence, has faced challenges with his batting form, having scored only 30 runs since taking over the captaincy. However, he previously demonstrated his capability with a century and two half-centuries in earlier matches this summer. Sri Lanka's bowling attack has seen some bright spots, particularly with Asitha Fernando, who made a notable impact in the last match with an impressive five-wicket haul in the first innings. As the series concludes, he aims to leave a positive mark by leading the wicket column for Sri Lanka in the final Test. With England being overwhelming favorites to secure another victory, the match presents an opportunity for both teams to showcase their skills, with England looking to complete a whitewash and Sri Lanka striving to avoid a clean sweep.