England captain Andrew Strauss on Sunday urged his world number one Test side to bounce back against Sri Lanka after the morale-sapping loss to Pakistan.
“I think we’ve obviously got a point to prove,” Strauss said ahead of the two-Test series starting at the Galle International Stadium on Monday.
“We have to bounce back after those results against Pakistan.”
England, who took over the top mantle after a 4-0 rout of India at home last summer, crashed to an embarrassing 3-0 series whitewash by Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in January and February.
The failure of Strauss’s men to adjust to spin-friendly wickets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi raised questions about their ability to win away from the seaming conditions at home.
Sri Lanka will offer little respite for the tourists, whose challenge to master the slow, turning wickets will be compounded by the oppressive heat and humidity prevailing on the island.
Strauss, asked if the number one ranking was justified, insisted he preferred to concentrate on the job at hand — that of beating Sri Lanka.
