England set to squad for Sri Lanka Test

 Bopara and Morgan both average in the low 30's in Test cricket.England will reveal Paul Collingwood's replacement when they name their squad for Thursday's first Test with Sri Lanka on Sunday morning.

Eoin Morgan, who made 193 for the Lions this week against the Sri Lankans, is competing with Ravi Bopara for the spot freed by Collingwood's Test retirement.Bopara scored only 17 in that match but has already made successive centuries in the Championship this season.All-rounder Tim Bresnan looks set to miss the series with a calf injury.

Bopara could win the vote because of his ability to bowl useful overs of medium pace, a role Collingwood regularly performed during his 68 Test matches.

James Anderson, Chris Tremlett and the fit-again Stuart Broad are likely to form the basis of the seam attack, having 43 wickets between them in the victorious Ashes series last winter.

Steven Finn, who captured 14 wickets in Australia, is also in line for a place in the squad, while Ajmal Shahzad and Jade Dernbach both took wickets for the Lions, Surrey seamer Dernbach claiming 5-44 in the first innings.Nottinghamshire slow left-armer Samit Patel, who played the last of his 11 one-day internationals in November 2008 and has yet to make a Test appearance, an outside chance of a place in the squad.The 26-year-old, who was told last year by the England hierarchy he would not play international cricket again until he improved his fitness, made a century for the Lions against Sri Lanka, scoring 119 in a stand of 266 with Morgan.England, currently ranked second in the ICC Test rankings, play another Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's starting on 3 June before a Twenty20 match and five one-day internationals.
They then turn their attentions to world number one side and World Cup winners India, with four Tests, a Twenty20 match and five one-day internationals between late July and mid-September.