2nd Test, day 1: England reach 120/4 at lunch

After Ben Stokes failed to justify his promotion to number three and Joe Root's struggle against left-arm spin continued his, England slumped to 120 for four at lunch on the opening day of the second test against Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

Jos Buttler was on a belligerent 38 at the break, having earlier hit spinner Akila Dananjaya for three successive boundaries. 

Root won the toss and elected to bat, thus sparing his team the tricky prospect of batting fourth on a track already offering turn.

Sri Lanka captain Suranga Lakmal, however, denied them a good start, inducing Keaton Jennings into edging a delivery in the fifth over.

Stokes then survived a review against Dilruwan Perera before he succumbed to another. 

Dismissed by a retiring Rangana Herath in both innings of the Galle test, Root fell to his replacement Malinda Pushpakumara for 14.

England, chasing a first overseas test series win since prevailing 2-1 in South Africa in early 2016, fielded the same side who beat the hosts by 211 runs in Galle.

Sri Lanka were forced into two changes with Herath retiring while regular skipper Dinesh Chandimal was ruled out with a groin injury.