5 players to look out for in the England-Sri Lanka Test series

Can England avenge their defeat to Sri Lanka in 2014 or will the visitors pull off another shock victory? How will the new and revolutionary points system work? Will it change the way bi-lateral series are played forever?

There are plenty of interesting questions that need to be answered ahead of England's series against Sri Lanka that kicks off today. While there are plenty of quality players on both sides, the game will hinge on who can make their opportunity count.

So here are five players to look out for.

Ben Stokes

The last 12 months leading into the World T20 was one that even Ben Stokes couldn't have foreseen in his wildest dreams. Yet, when he came in to bowl the final over of the World T20 final against West Indies, he came, safe in the knowledge that all he had to was to continue his good work hitherto and he would have guided England to their second World T20 title.

Unfortunately for the Durham all-rounder, things didn't go according to plan and he had to suffer the ignominy of losing the final in the last over, having performed brilliantly with the ball until then. Yet, what makes some players stand out is their ability to bounce back from adversity and show everyone that they cannot be beaten so easily.

After a year that saw him become the all-rounder that every side wants to have, the 24-year-old will have to show the world that one game won't get the better of him, no matter how important it might have been. Already this English summer, the southpaw has shown that he has put that behind him with a couple of impressive performances for Durham and only time will tell if he can do the same for the national side.

Dimuth Karunaratne

One of the keys to success in England is to have a solid opening batsman who sets a platform under difficult conditions and doesn't leave the side struggling with the loss of a few early wickets. In Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka have exactly that type of player.

While the 28-year-old may be flashy and elegant as many left-handers are, in Kaushal Silva, he has a solid batsman, who is incredibly effective at blunting the new ball attack, which is exactly what the visitors will want him to do. The fact that he is coming off a good scoring run in the domestic circuit is an added bonus.

That good form was evident as he scored a comfortable century against Leicestershire. If Sri Lanka are to have any chance of repeating their heroics of their last trip to England, they will need their openers to provide them with solid starts.

Steven Finn

All the talk leading into the Test series as far as the bowling department is concerned, may be about Stuart Broad and James Anderson, but there can be little doubt Finn deserves his spot in the side as the third seamer. With Mark Wood having issues with injury once again and the rest of the replacements not having enough international experience, the onus will be on the tall fast bowler to ensure the new ball pair don’t carry the bulk of the burden.

Ever since he has remodelled his action, he has shown that he can consistenly deliver top-quality bowling, whether the conditions are helpful or not. Arguably his biggest problem is not his line or length but his constant tendency to over-step.

As long as he can curtail that and keep his foot firmly behind the crease, the Middlesex fast bowler is certain to have a series to remember against Sri Lanka with his extra pace and bounce.

Dinesh Chandimal

It is never easy to take over after two legends have retired in quick succession. But so far, Dinesh Chandimal has shown that he has the temperament and the quality to ensure that the loss of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene isn’t felt as much as it should.

Although he has performed admirably at home, away from home, the wicketkeeper batsman is still to prove himself. And with a rampant new ball pairing of James Anderson and Stuart Broad staring the Sri Lankan batting line-up in the eye, it will be interesting to see how he goes in the series.

While it is true that he has Angelo Mathews to follow him in the batting order, those two players will be integral towards any success Sri Lanka might have in conditions that suit the bowlers.

Jonny Bairstow

When you know that a slot is available, there are two things you can do. You can showcase your pedigree by a string of consistent scores or break the door down with performances that absolutely warrant your selection in the side.

The latter is the option that Jonny Bairstow has gone with, ever since it became clear that the wicketkeeping slot is free, thanks to Jos Buttler's indifferent form in the longest format of the game. After coming into the England side on the back of sheer volume of runs, the 26-year-old has managed to hold onto his place with performances that have only offered glimpses of just what he is capable of.

Yet, scores of 246 and 198 in his last six first-class innings are a reminder that he is more than capable of scoring lots of runs and that it is just a matter of time before he improves on his highest Test score of 150. England will be hoping that it will happen against a Sri Lankan side that is still in transition.