Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
Could the 2nd ODI have been more predictable?
Rain was always going to be a factor, and England, through Joe Root ad Eoin Morgan, set a platform for a big total. Lasith Malinga was at his brilliant death best to restrict England to below 280. Then, in something more regular than Donald Trump stirring some controversy, we saw a Sri Lankan top order collapse, a key problem in a rut now reading 31 losses in their last 41 completed ODIs.
The series moves to Pallekelle, but rain is expected to have a say once again. Will we see similar proceedings to the second ODI as well?
Dhananjaya de Silva and Thisara Perera gave Sri Lanka hope of a great comeback in Dambulla, but with rain always around the corner, beating the D/L target was a near impossible task. That can be attributed once again to Sri Lanka’s terrible habit of losing quick wickets at the top. In each of Sri Lanka’s six losses, dating back to the first ODI against South Africa at the end of July, Sri Lanka lost their first five wickets for the following scores: 36, 165, 124, 60, 108 and 74. It is no wonder why they continue to struggle for results in this format, and need a significant improvement today to not only beat England, but also the rain as well.
England raced through their overs to get a result in on Saturday, and it was their efficiency with the ball at the top of the innings that enabled victory. Chris Woakes and Olly Stone exposed a shaky Sri Lankan top order, after Joe Root and Eoin Morgan set England up for a good total. One area they would like to improve in is their death batting, scoring just 69 in the final ten overs in the second ODI. Dealing with Lasith Malinga at his glorious best is a tough ask, but if England are to enjoy ODI success in the next 12 months, overcoming these types of challenges is key.
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Key to a Sri Lanka win
Key to an England win
Possible XIs
England will also be forced to make a change with Liam Dawson’s injury. Joe Denly, his replacement, is due to arrive in Sri Lanka on the morning of the match, so it’s likely one of the Curran brothers will replace Dawson.
England possible XI: 1. Jason Roy, 2. Jonny Bairstow, 3. Joe Root, 4. Eoin Morgan (c), 5. Ben Stokes, 6. Jos Buttler (wk), 7. Moeen Ali, 8. Chris Woakes, 9. Sam Curran/Tom Curran, 10. Adil Rashid, 11. Olly Stone
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Dream11
- Jos Buttler > Niroshan Dickwella.
- Joe Root remains a key player for England, and is in top touch. He is my captain. A Sri Lanka batsman worth including is Dasun Shanaka, who could have greater responsibility.
- Chris Woakes is a must, and you can’t go wrong with Lasith Malinga, and the three main spinners from either side.
- In addition to Sri Lanka’s struggles in Dambulla, they have lost four of their last five ODIs at Pallekele.
- The top three run scorers in ODI cricket in 2018 are from England. Jonny Bairstow reached 1,000 runs for the year in the second ODI, followed by Joe Root and Jason Roy (896 and 804 runs respectively).
- Lasith Malinga has taken 10 wickets at an average of 17 and economy of 4.85 since his return to international cricket last month.
Prediction
