Summary
- England made a steady start against Sri Lanka in their ODI tri-series encounter at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, reaching 85-2 after losing both opening batters.
- Tom Banton led England’s early charge with a half-century, scoring 50 runs before being dismissed by Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage.
- Sri Lanka also made changes to their combination, bringing in left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage in place of Sachindu Colombage.
England made a steady start against Sri Lanka in their ODI tri-series encounter at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, reaching 85-2 after losing both opening batters.
Tom Banton led England’s early charge with a half-century, scoring 50 runs before being dismissed by Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage. Ben Duckett also contributed 29 runs, but Wellalage struck again to remove the second opener and give Sri Lanka an important breakthrough.
Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis won the toss and elected to bowl first, hoping to take advantage of the conditions and restrict England to a manageable total.
England made two changes to their playing XI following their defeat to Pakistan. Josh Tongue and Liam Dawson were included in the lineup, replacing Sonny Baker and Adil Rashid.
Captain Harry Brook said he was comfortable batting first despite losing the toss, pointing to the pitch’s dry and firm surface. He expressed hope that England would post a strong total and put pressure on the Sri Lankan side.
Sri Lanka also made changes to their combination, bringing in left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage in place of Sachindu Colombage. Opener Avishka Fernando was included in the lineup as the team looked to strengthen its batting options.
Fernando previously impressed against England at the 2019 World Cup, scoring 49 off 39 balls during Sri Lanka’s memorable victory at Headingley.
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