Chris Tremlett: Sam Curran has shown the temperament and ability to move up England’s batting order

The opening day of the second Test match against Sri Lanka was in many ways a typical one for England.

The top order batsmen struggled, losing four wickets in the first session, before the lower order came to the rescue to get them in the game.

It’s been a problem for quite some time now, with no consistency at the start of an innings. At the moment England have two inexperienced openers who are searching for confidence and are not yet settled.

Even though Keaton Jennings scored a century in the first Test at Galle he will still have uncertainty at the back of his mind, while Rory Burns is trying to make an impression in just his second match.

Ben Stokes is the latest to be given a chance at No3 – his ninth different batting position for England – and Joe Root is yet to discover his best form while juggling the captaincy.

The shaky start, which this time left them 89-4 after 25.5 overs, is happening far too frequently. The new ball is of course the most difficult time to bat, but England are still under-performing in that department.

There has been too little continuity, with the selectors chopping and changing, which sees pressure mount quickly.

Today they were thankful to Jos Buttler and Sam Curran, who not for the first time bailed their team mates out with contrasting but equally impressive innings.

I’ve written a lot about Curran in the last six months and he continues to impress and grow as a cricketer. His 64 in Kandy showed both sides to his game – solid technique and patience before confidence in his ability to clear the boundary ropes.

Curran may not be a big man, but he times the ball so well. In just his seventh Test match he scored his third vital half-century and cemented my belief that his long-term future lies further up the batting order.

When he first started coming through at Surrey he was always a batsman first, bowler second and I think that’s the way his career will go.

With England struggling to find a No3 before the match following Moeen Ali’s unprofitable stint there I thought Curran should be promoted and his innings has strengthened my resolve.

For me Stokes is at his best when playing as a stroke-maker. He’s a genius – England’s most flamboyant and dangerous counter-attacker – and he should be allowed to play like Andrew Flintoff, not Jacques Kallis.

Curran may be used to the middle-to-lower order but he has already played innings under pressure against Pakistan, India and now Sri Lanka. He has the technique to play the swinging and spinning ball and has proven he’s ready for responsibility in Test cricket.

Stokes playing at No3 – like Moeen and Root before him – is just a short-term fix and as much I’d like to see Curran pushed up the order, it’s unlikely.

In reality England need to go back to the drawing board and find a ready-made No3. They’ve done a lot of tinkering, playing people out of position to find the right balance, but they really require someone in county cricket to stand up and demand selection.

I don’t think they’ll make many changes for the next tour against the West Indies, especially if they come away from Sri Lanka victorious, but by next summer the spot needs to be addressed.

In the meantime those in the top order can battle for form and the management can thank their lucky stars people like Curran exist lower down the order.