"Enjoy your last Test match" - Nasser Hussain recalls Kumar Sangakkara's sledge during his playing days

Former England captain Nasser Hussain compared the current Sri Lankan crop to the yesteryears, citing the massive gap on all fronts after Day 3 of the first Test in Manchester. Hussain also recalled how Kumar Sangakkara would keep sledging him consistently.

Even as Sri Lanka were in a position of relative strength on the third day, they couldn't quite capitalize to ram home the advantage. Although the visitors are 82 runs ahead, they must set a formidable fourth-innings target for England.

In his column for The Daily Mail, the 56-year-old commented that the Sri Lankan players are completely different on and off the field. He wrote:

"I think of the Sri Lanka side I played against and their attention to detail was on another level. They are the nicest, meekest, calmest people off the field but once you got on the field, players like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene would be at you all the time. Kumar would chirp all sorts behind me like ‘Enjoy your last Test match'."

Jamie Smith, who debuted against the West Indies in the previous series, struck his maiden Test century. The Surrey batter came in at 187-5 and helped England gain a 122-run lead.

"Test cricket is like an arm wrestle" - Nasser Hussain

Hussain cited the presence of lethargy and sloppiness on the third morning from Sri Lanka and reckons the tourists will look back at it if they lose the Test. He added in his column:

"If Sri Lanka lose this Test, they will look at the first hour on Friday and ask themselves if they were completely switched on and ready, because it was such a contrast to the fight they showed across the first two days. Test cricket is like an arm wrestle — you can’t drop your concentration at any stage — and I thought they were sloppy and lethargic in the morning. They were almost not ready for the start of play."

Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal are at the crease, with the former unbeaten on 56.