Dambulla: England are looking to Stuart Broad and Dimitri Mascarenhas to turn the five-match series against Sri Lanka that starts Monday.

England are on a losing streak against Sri Lanka, who were runners-up to Australia at this year’s World Cup. A narrow defeat at the World Cup in Antigua followed last year’s 0-5 home series loss.

“The last series was a bitter disappointment for us,” England captain Paul Collingwood said. “There were a few things that we didn’t do well and Sri Lanka were playing awesomely well.

“But the good thing is that we have a few new match winners like Dimi and Stuart and if their good form continues it can be our series.”

England will be handicapped without allrounder Andrew Flintoff, who pulled out of the series with an ankle problem.

“Freddie (Flintoff) is two players in one, I have always said that,” Collingwood said. “He’s a class act. We’ll obviously miss him as he was in good form too.”

Sri Lanka too are having selection worries after star off-spinner Muttiah Muralidharan was ruled out of at least the first two matches with a bicep injury.