Shai Hope is back in training and will likely slot right back into the playing XI, but it’s his understudy that is taking all the plaudits. Amir Jangoo didn’t know he was playing until the eve of the first Test – until Hope’s untimely injury – and Sri Lanka in hindsight would have been wishing he hadn’t. Two-hundred-and-thirty-three runs later off his bat and West Indies were well on their way to a dominant win.

It was an innings showing immense maturity, choosing when to defend and when to take on the bowling. It was also an innings that has given the West Indian think tank one of those good headaches, as the decision on who will make way for Hope has been complicated somewhat. One thing is for sure, it won’t be Jangoo, whose only goal now will be to replicate the patience shown across that first Test and give the Sri Lankans another long outing in the field.

Since the start of 2022, of those to have played at least 10 Tests, only Kamindu Mendis (57.60) and Kane Williamson (56.07) have a better average than Dinesh Chandimal‘s 54.65. And of those two above him, Williamson is now retired while Kamindu’s numbers are propped up heavily by a quite extraordinary purple patch in 2024. In this context, Chandimal, who has struck 2241 runs in this period – the most by a Sri Lankan – can justifiably lay claim to being Sri Lanka’s – and the world’s – most consistent red-ball batter.

In the first Test, this consistency fetched him 97 runs across two innings, including a 35th Test fifty. But as Jangoo and Chase showed, it’s the big ones that secure the wins. In a batting line-up that looked fragile and hurried against the moving ball, Chandimal’s experience and consistency will likely prove pivotal. He has shown over a long career that he possesses the defensive technique to weather intense spells of hostile pace, so if Sri Lanka are to mount any sort of fightback, it’s Chandimal they will look to to anchor the innings, absorb the pressure, and hopefully convert a start into a match-defining knock.

Hope has recovered from the left shoulder strain that ruled him out of the first Test. He is expected to slot back in and with Jangoo having staked a claim in the playing XI, it could be Kavem Hodge that makes way. On the eve of the game, Chase said that Roach was nursing a hamstring niggle and was a doubtful starter. Seam-bowling allrounder Keemo Paul could get a look-in if Roach fails to recover in time.

West Indies (probable): John Campbell,  Brandon King,  Shai Hope, Amir Jangoo  Justin Greaves,  Roston Chase (capt),  Joshua da Silva (wk),  Jayden Seales, Alzarri Joseph,  Shamar Joseph,  Kemar Roach/Keemo Paul

Lahiru Kumara’s injury in the first Test means Sri Lanka will be sure to make at least one change, with Vishwa Fernando likely to come in as a replacement. While the batting let them down, it is a settled unit and therefore one that is unlikely to see a change.

Sri Lanka (probable): Pathum Nissanka,  Nishan Madushka,  Dinesh Chandimal,  Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), Kusal Mendis (wk),  Sonal Dinusha,  Milan Rathnayake,  Kasun Rajitha,  Vishwa Fernando,  Asitha Fernando

(Cricinfo)

Consistency is her middle name, but South Africa captain Wolvaardt hasn’t hit top form in the tournament yet. She looked close against Netherlands, unfurling her trademark cover drives once she got going, only to fall for a 36-ball 45. Against Bangladesh, she bagged a first-ball duck. Those returns are at odds with the form she carried into the World Cup, having compiled three half-centuries and a hundred in South Africa’s series win over India. As someone with a reputation for always turning up in knockouts, Wolvaardt will be keen on finding her touch.

Sophie Ecclestone has quietly gone about another outstanding ICC event. In 23 T20 World Cup innings, she has claimed 37 wickets while conceding just 4.7 runs an over, underlining her remarkable consistency on the biggest stage. While England’s batters have grabbed headlines, Ecclestone has remained the constant with the ball, controlling the middle overs with her accuracy, changes of pace and ability to strike at crucial moments. South Africa’s batting has often relied on one or two players carrying the load this tournament, and if Ecclestone can break those partnerships early, England will fancy their chances of keeping the scoring in check.