Image source, Getty Images

Just as Adam says that the groundstaff start to wander around the outfield. Maybe they're just stretching their legs. It doesn't look like it's going to rain.

That's another fine shot from Jos Buttler. He punches it straight back at the bowler Lakmal for four. It was in the air but hit so well that there was never any chance of a catch.

Textbook.

Adam Mountford
Radio 5 live in Galle

We woke up this morning not really expecting any play today because of heavy overnight rain. Since we’ve been in Galle it has rained every day and the forecast was poor.

But locals are now saying they don’t expect it to rain at all today so we should get play through until around 11.30 GMT UK time.

The only issue might be the light later as we don’t have any floodlights here in Galle and lights won’t actually be used at all during this Test series.

Also don’t get too excited yet. We are still expecting thunderstorms this week.

The Sri Lanka players are complaining about the ball. It seems Foakes hit it into a wet area with that boundary and now the leather is damp.

Issues with the ball or not, Akila Dananjaya manages to turn one a long way to Buttler. This pitch will turn miles if we get to days four and five.

Akila could be difficult to play. He continues to throw down leggies, offies and anything-else-he-can-think-of-ies.

Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on The Cricket Social

Image source, Getty Images

Moeen Ali is not a number three in Test cricket, I'm sorry. There is something fundamental that your number three has to be a high-class international batsman.

He is most effective at six, seven or eight, down in the engine room where he can come out and play his natural game and attack.

Watch the ball and be aggressive. At three it isn't going to work.

Ben Foakes has now faced more than 40 balls but is still in single figures. He has been watchful but has managed to find enough singles that he has never felt bogged down.

Hello!

What was I saying?

Lakmal drops a little short on his final ball of the over and Foakes hoiks it through mid-wicket for four. That's his first boundary in Test cricket and a very nice one at that.

Andy Zaltzman
The Cricket Social statistician

Image source, Getty Images

Keaton Jennings did bat well, he had a clear plan against the spin. But in his last 14 innings he's lasted 30 or more balls 11 times but has never reached 100 balls.

Even with luck - he was dropped today - he can't capitalise after getting through that traditional 'difficult early phase'.

Image source, Getty Images

Another series. Another top-order failure from England.

If you're just waking up, England are five down against Sri Lanka at the start of the afternoon session.

All five wickets fell before lunch.

They lost debutant opener Rory Burns and number three Moeen Ali in the third over before a little partnership of 62 between captain Joe Root and Keaton Jennings.

But the aggressive Root managed to york himself to Rangana Herath and was bowled, Jennings was bowled for 46 and Ben Stokes played a poor sweep shot and also had his timbers knocked back for seven.

England now have Jos Buttler and debutant wicketkeeper Ben Foakes at the crease.

Ah. I was wrong. It is just a change for ends for Lakmal. He is just coming on for Rangana Herath at the other end. I'm surprised.

After two overs of seam, mystery spinner Akila Dananjaya is now on for a bowl. It's spin from both ends.

Buttler crunches one and can only get one and that brings Ben Foakes back onto strike.

The close catchers come swarming in with the debutant on strike. Foakes has three for company plus the chirpy wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella. Foakes nicks another single.

I'm still confident this match will go to at least four days. We'll get rain at some point, surely, and I also think Sri Lanka will try and bat long when they get their chance.

Herath has settled in now. He's not going to budge from this end for a while. There are a few more yelps from behind the stumps when Foakes goes back to one he should really be coming forward too.

Tense.

Paul Wilson: I've got tickets for days three & four. I'm praying for rain today/tomorrow so that I'll get to see some cricket, cos I've got absolutely no faith in England's ability/performance seeing us get through two days.

Aggers has just told us that there is not going to be any rain today...

When I say England need a 'Buttler special' that's a Test match Buttler special like the one against India in the summer. This is not the time for ramps and scoops.

Jos seems to be settling in for the long haul and watches the rest of the over go by.

Adam Mountford
Radio 5 live in Galle

Image source, Getty Images

A lot of England fans have told me this morning that a visit to watch cricket at this iconic ground in Galle was on their bucket lists.

There is also some fear that this might actually be the last Test played here because of a desire to move to a ground with better facilities and an issue over protecting the area around the Dutch fort which has been declared a world heritage site by Unesco.

I really hope Test cricket does remain here. What cricket really needs is a variety of grounds. There are too many stadiums which frankly look the same. You instantly know where you are when you see a Test at Galle.

Image source, Getty Images

Shot.

Nice from Jos Buttler. He punches off the back foot through the covers and it reaches the boundary despite an excellent dive on the boundary edge.

England need a Buttler special.

It's spin from the other end as the portly veteran Rangana Herath trundles in. Herath has 431 wickets despite looking like a straight-forward left-arm spinner. It's all clever, subtle variations from him. He's a brilliant bowler. I'll miss him.

Another of those variations almost does for Ben Foakes. It's slightly quicker and almost sneaks through the Surrey man's defence.

Isabelle Westbury
Former Middlesex captain on The Cricket Social

England have an inability to adjust their approach, once they get it into their heads to be aggressive, that's it.

Jos Buttler has the nuance, the intelligence to adjust and adapt the gameplan, but maybe he should be batting higher.

Debutant Ben Foakes looks the part. A good, well-shaped beard under his lid. His long sleeved shirt rolled up a little around his forearms.

It's a little gloomy in Galle but no sign of any rain. There was a downpour last night and as a result the outfield looks like my local park. There are nasty brown patches all over.

It's not the quickest of surfaces but Foakes nabs a single.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent in Galle

Image source, Getty Images

This place would be in the top five of any England cricket fan's hit list. There are many, many people who have made it here and they will be gutted with what they have seen.

I live-texted on both of those games by the way. Sorry.

Seamer Suranga Lakmal is going to bowl after lunch.

Ben Foakes blocks the first ball.