Unstoppable Force meets Immovable Object: England s Test of Endurance

England have the “belief” that they can beat Sri Lanka, but Paul Collingwood admits it will be “one hell of a Test match to win” given the hosts’ current situation.

Sri Lanka finished day three of the last Test on 94-1, needing 125 runs to complete their target of 219 and seal a memorable victory.

England has already won the series 2-0, but they have not performed well at The Oval. On Sunday, they were bowled out for 156 in 34 overs in their second Test innings, the shortest in more than three years.

“This team is capable of doing some special things,” assistant coach Collingwood stated. “We need to believe that we can turn things around.

“Hopefully, we’ll get on a roll. “It’s an exciting opportunity.”

England has won five consecutive Tests and is aiming for their first 100 percent home summer in 20 years.

However, they have been wasteful several times at The Oval. The host team was bowled out for 325 after being 261-3 in their first innings.

On the third day, England took the last five Sri Lanka wickets for 52 runs, giving them a 62-run advantage in the first innings.

Instead of batting the tourists out of the game, England found themselves at 82-7 and needed wicketkeeper Jamie Smith’s blazing 67 to set a competitive goal. Nonetheless, Sri Lanka made a quick start in the chase and will begin the fourth day as favourites.

“We’re going to need a special day if we want to win this match,” said Collingwood, a former England all-rounder. “There will be belief in the locker room. It will be a heck of a Test match to win from this position.” We always look at opportunities rather than failures. When you have that optimism, it’s remarkable what you can accomplish on the cricket pitch. We’ve been in some deep holes at times, but we’ve found ways out of them thanks to the talent in the dressing room.”

England’s success this summer came after they committed to “refine” the Bazball strategy introduced by coach Brendon McCullum.

However, certain of their batting and field placements at The Oval have sparked criticism. Alastair Cook, England’s all-time greatest run-scorer, felt his previous squad had become complacent, while ex-England captain Michael Vaughan advised them not to “take the mickey out of Test cricket”.

Collingwood, who has played 68 Tests for England, is a former teammate of Cook and Vaughan.

“I haven’t seen any of the criticism, but we all know it will be out there,” he told me. “If you do not perform, you will face criticism. That is OK.

“We will not always get it right, and today was one of those days. The guys in the dressing room will raise their hands.

“We want to make sure we have a clean sweep, and the lads are really proud to play for England. We didn’t feel complacent going into this match.”

That England still has a chance is largely because to 24-year-old Smith, who wowed his home audience with some spectacular shots. At one stage, the Surrey batsman scored 52 runs off 18 deliveries.

Collingwood compared the wicketkeeper to Adam Gilchrist, the famous Australian who could smash assaults from number seven. Collingwood was a member of the England team that was humiliated by Gilchrist’s 57-ball century in Perth in 2006, the fastest ever in an Ashes Test.

“It’s exciting when he comes in,” Collingwood said about Smith. “He is clearly an entertainer.

“Remember when Gilchrist would come in for Australia? When someone has the potential to do such things, it drains the life out of you as the opposing party. In his brief Test career, he has demonstrated exceptional abilities.