In the third ODI match against Sri Lanka, England emerged victorious by 53 runs at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
During the match, skipper Harry Brook and stalwart Joe Root registered centuries each to their names. Jacob Bethell also played a knock of 65 runs.
Reflecting on the victory, skipper Brook said that having Root in his team helps on a daily basis.
“Working on a few things in the nets, and it paid off. Glad me, Rooty and Beth could get us to that total. Awesome effort from everyone. Root is exceptional; to have him in the side helps every day,” he said.
He also said that the pitch in Colombo turned out to be better than they expected.
“Not that important, a lot better pitch than we were expecting. Got a good score and managed to defend it. Very happy with how the spinners bowled, they were working in tandem. The batters tried to put the pressure back on in tough conditions. It was a decent wicket! Ended up being better than we thought,” added Brook.
With the help of their knocks, the “Three Lions” posted 357 runs on board by losing just three wickets in 50 overs.
In reply, Pavan Rathnayake scored 121 runs off 115 balls, including 12 boundaries and a maximum. Pathum Nissanka also garnered 50 runs in 25 balls, with the help of five boundaries and three maximums.
But their knocks were not enough to help Sri Lanka guide to victory. The hosts were bowled out for 304 runs in 46.4 overs.
With this, the visitors clinched the three-match ODI series by 2-1 against Sri Lanka.
T20 World Cup 2026: Group B and C teams
Both teams will soon engage in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. England is placed in Group C of the tournament along with teams such as Italy, Nepal, Scotland, and the West Indies. On the other hand, Group B consists of teams such as Australia, Ireland, Oman, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe.
England will begin its campaign against Nepal on February 8 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, whereas Sri Lanka is set to lock horns against Ireland on the same day at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
(With ANI Inputs)
