Gary Ballance to shift in England’s batting order for Test series against Sri Lanka

Think-tank have no qualms revealing that he will get a chance to bat at No 3, a place occupied by Ian Bell, who will drop down a place as they take on Sri Lanka in what is expected to be a spicy Test series.

Gary Ballance , right, will follow opener Alistair Cook, left, at the fall of the first wicket, it was revealed by the England camp. Olly Greenwood / AFP

Press Association

Jun 11, 2014

Yorkshire's Gary Ballance will take on the crucial No 3 spot for England when they begin their Test series against Sri Lanka at Lord's today.
Captain Alastair Cook confirmed the 24-year-old would come in at first drop in the first Test, with Ian Bell and Joe Root set to follow in the middle order.
Ballance will come ahead of Bell, a veteran of 98 Tests, who usually has come after the openers in recent times.
Cook, who will open alongside debutant Sam Robson, was untypically ready to confirm the make-up of the top six – a move that would have been anathema under the secretive Andy Flower reign. "Gary will bat at three, Belly at four, Rooty at five and Mo [Moeen Ali] at six."
As well as clarifying the batting order, Cook effectively confirmed the team, with Chris Woakes the likely 12th man.
The series is set to get under way with emotions still high about Jos Buttler's "Mankad" dismissal in the one-day international at Edgbaston.
England's wicketkeeper was run out backing up at the non-striker's end by Sachithra Senanayake having twice been warned for leaving his ground.
It was a legal but controversial mode of dismissal, infuriating England and their fans.
Cook spoke in measured tones about the incident ahead, but could not hide the fact that it will add spice to the encounter.
"Both sides will play a particularly hard game of cricket, but we have a responsibility to do it in the right way," he said.
"It was frustrating at the time and it still is, but he (Senanayake) was in his right to do it. The bottom line is you can't really argue against it."
His counterpart Angelo Mathews was strident about the incident. "He was backing away [backing up] and we did nothing about, but we couldn't let him do that every game.
"We warned him twice. There is a law and if you're going to judge the captain of the other team [for using it] there shouldn't be a law; if that's the case it should be taken out.
"We played within the rules and stuck to the spirit of cricket, but we shouldn't let anyone take advantage of us."