Asitha Fernando brings Sri Lanka great hope after day-one valiance

If you were to design your ideal fast bowler, it probably would not share many physical traits with Asitha Fernando .

For starters, they would be taller than five-foot-eight. Their front leg would be braced, and their deliveries would push the speed gun well beyond 83mph. And they'd almost certainly not be Sri Lankan or blessed with the Sri Lankan uncle's paunch.

But when it comes to craft and nous, you could do worse than take a handful of what Asitha is working with to season your dream hybrid quick. Because it was those, combined with undimmed enthusiasm that sparked day two of this first Test into life. Perhaps not all the way, but how could any fuse stay lit when the wind is blowing the rain sideways, and the cold so biting you have to double-check your calendar to make sure we are actually in August. But in climes not suited for even the most strapping fast bowler, this short king stood head and shoulders above the rest.

His three wickets, for 68 so far, brought Sri Lanka great hope after day one's valiance, even if England do come back on Friday with a lead and wickets to spare. Each of the batters pocketed were prime cuts. The second most productive opener in Test cricket since the start of 2023. England's No.3, and stand-in Test captain, no less. And, lastly, the seventh-ranked on the list of all-time runs in the format.

The disappointment of missing out on Dan Lawrence's dismissal at the start of the seventh over - HawkEye showing the projected path of the ball bouncing over the top of middle and leg - was made up for with the dismissal of Ben Duckett two balls later. Sharp movement into the left-hander, and some uncharacteristic over-balancing, pinned the front pad. This time, DRS came to Asitha's assistance, but it looked just as out in real-time.

Ollie Pope had the top of his off stump rocked, stuck in the crease, and in his swing as the bat came down at an angle, surprised as much by the movement as the amount of skid into him. Joe Root had breezed past 30 before being tied down by some reverse swing. A loose attempt to break a boundary-less run of 22 balls - having struck four crisp ones in his first 35 - gifted an edge low to Dinesh Chandimal, even if Asitha had earned it.

There may have been clouds overhead, but a slow surface negated any real nip through the air. It also allowed batters to react to deliveries after pitching, even given the red flag of Pope's dismissal, but particularly as the ball went soft.

Asitha was the only quick to effectively tail it late before the outfield dampened that movement. His lengths were consistent throughout; operating primarily on a six-pence around a six to six-and-a-half yard distance from the stumps. The Sri Lanka brain trust had identified for success in these conditions, and it was no surprise that Asitha was the one to take up residence there immediately.

Asitha, as he has done throughout his international career, stuck to his task throughout, skill and spirit shining through across the 14 of Thursday's 57 overs from his fingertips. He may not fit the common ideals of fast bowling, that opening burst which had England 40 for 2 (later 67 for 3 with Vishwa Fernando's snaring of Lawrence) and then 125 for 4 after seeing off Root, showed he certainly has the traits of revered tearaways.

Eventually, according to Sri Lanka bowling coach Aaqib Javed, it will be abundantly clear by the end of the series that Asitha is not just an exception to fast bowling norms. But a prototype of one of the most revered (and studied) quicks of the modern era.

"I told him that after Mohammad Asif of Pakistan I saw that quality in him," said Javed on his skills, dropping that comparison in there like it was a run-of-the-mill observation rather than a grand statement referencing one of the best to ever do it.

"Not many people know about his ability. Without changing his wrist, he can swing the ball both ways."

Javed worked with Asif, so he knows what he is talking about. And airing that opinion feels especially prescient here given Asif can claim responsibility for the recent lineage of English quicks. James Anderson and Stuart Broad credit him with bringing the wobble seam, which the former has been passing on to others long before his bowling consultant role began earlier this summer. Javed, as a seam and wrist position enthusiast, does not use the equivalence lightly.

"I actually picked Mohammad Asif. He wasn't in the system. That's how I know Asif a lot. Sometimes you don't know what happens with your wrist. He (Asitha) has now got different confidence levels. People change their wrists, change the shine (which way it is showing) - but Asitha is so gifted, and they (the batters) even don't know which way it will go."

Of course, Asitha has a long way to go to replicate the on-field career and influence of Asif. Not to mention the eight inches in height difference.

But if history has taught us anything, it is that in Test cricket's conventional world, it is unwise to ignore an unconventional Sri Lankan.