This is Sam Curran's world and we are all simply living in it.

The 20-year-old scored a superbly paced 50 yesterday to yet again get England out of trouble, leaving them well placed after the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Pallekele.

England had won the toss and elected to bat, but on a turning track slid to 165-6 when Curran walked out to bat.

It soon became 171-7 when Jos Buttler was caught reverse-sweeping by Dimuth Karunaratne off Malinda Pushpakumara.

Any ordinary player batting in just their second away Test match would have been phased.

Sam Curran is no ordinary player.

The Barmy Army's song for Curran, sung to “karma chameleon” revels in the fact that the all-rounder “bats and bowls,” but above all else it's his ability to adopt to the situation that makes him stand out.

Curran soaked up the pressure, quietly accumulating 16 runs from 65 balls in valuable partnerships with Adil Rashid and Jack Leach.

Then, with just No 11 James Anderson for company, Curran went from 0-60mph in a flash.

Six sixes during a rapid partnership of 60 for the 10^th wicket,the scoring unsurprisingly dominated by Curran.

Naturally, Curran brought up his 50 with a maximum — he's the first player to do that in each of his first three Test 50s. All of them have come with England in trouble. All of them have been more valuable than many hundreds.

These heroics helped England to 285 all out, a more than respectable total on a pitch already taking noticeable turn.

In reply Sri Lanka reached 26-1 at close of play, Jack Leach opener bowling Kaushal Silva for six to confirm it was England's day.