Sri Lanka – England ODI series begins today…
ThePapareNews article
The three-match ODI series featuring the Sri Lankan team currently on tour in England is set to begin today (22).
ODI series schedule
1st ODI
: September 22 (day/night), at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street.
2nd ODI
: September 24 (day/night), at Headingley, Leeds.
3rd ODI
: September 27, at the Kennington Oval, London.
The two nations have played 82 ODIs against each other in a rivalry that dates back to 1982. Of those, Sri Lanka have won 38 while England have claimed 40 victories. In addition, there has been one tied match and 3 no-results.
The two sides have met in 14 bilateral series so far, with England winning more of them. Listed out, England have won 7 and Sri Lanka 6, while the first series between the two countries ended without a result.
Sri Lanka won a series in England for the first time in 2006 (5-0), and their most recent series win there came in 2014 (3-2). Sri Lanka subsequently toured England in 2016 and again in 2021, but lost both of those series 3-0 and 2-0 respectively.
The two teams last met in Sri Lanka at the start of this year, where England managed to win the series 2-1.
The named Sri Lanka ODI squad for the series starting today does not include Lahiru Udara, Tharindu Rathnayake and Nuwan Thushara, who featured in the just-concluded T20I series. In their place, Kusal Mendis returns, once again taking up the captaincy, while Sachindu Colombage and Asitha Fernando have also been named.
This is the first series involving the Sri Lanka national cricket team for 28-year-old leg-spinner Sachindu Colombage. Having shown standout form in the recently concluded Lanka Premier League, he has so far taken 27 wickets in 14 first-class matches, 69 wickets in 45 List A matches and 69 wickets in 49 T20 matches.
As 29-year-old Asitha Fernando joins this series, he has played 31 ODIs for Sri Lanka and taken 39 wickets. His performances as a fast bowler in the two-Test series against India that concluded in Sri Lanka last month drew everyone's attention.
Sri Lanka ODI squad for the England tour
Kusal Mendis (captain), Kamil Mishara, Pathum Nissanka, Pawan Rathnayake, Charith Asalanka (vice-captain), Wanindu Hasaranga, Janith Liyanage, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachindu Colombage, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage.
While Sri Lanka enter this series in that form, England too come into it with three changes. Included are 22-year-old leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed; right-arm medium-pacer Henry Crocombe, who is yet to play for the England national side and has taken 125 first-class wickets, 49 List A wickets and 35 T20 wickets; and 35-year-old senior top-order batter Joe Root, all freshly called up to the squad.
To accommodate them, Aneurin Donald, James Coles and Saqib Mahmood have been left out from the previous T20I squad.
Among the players newly named for the ODI series, Joe Root draws special attention. He finished his last 6 ODI innings with 496 runs, including a century and 5 half-centuries. He also managed to keep his average at 248.0 – thanks to the fact that he remained not out in 4 of those 6 innings. Another notable point is that all of these innings were recorded against Sri Lanka and India this year.
Joe Root is also currently the highest run-scorer among active players in the ODI history between the two countries. He has faced Sri Lanka in 32 matches, scoring 1425 runs in 29 innings with 3 centuries and 11 half-centuries. On that run list, he stands second only to Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
Furthermore, Joe Root joins this series as England's highest run-scorer of all time, having played 192 ODIs and amassed 7826 runs with 20 centuries and 48 half-centuries.
England captain Harry Brook, who led his side to a 3-0 win over Sri Lanka to become the world's number one T20I team, comes into this series having played 41 ODIs and scored 1385 runs with 3 centuries and 6 half-centuries.
Among those runs, the unbeaten 136 he made when he toured Sri Lanka earlier this year stands as the celebrated peak of his run tally.
The other attacking batter joining the series against Sri Lanka is 36-year-old Jos Buttler, who also has the wicketkeeping gloves. He has so far played 202 ODIs, batting in 174 innings to score 5578 runs with 11 centuries and 29 half-centuries.
Among those matches, he has scored 634 runs in 22 innings across 29 matches against Sri Lanka, with a century and 3 half-centuries.
In addition to them, top-order left-hander Ben Duckett has become England's newest dependable batter.
In bowling, 38-year-old leg-spinner Adil Rashid enjoys special recognition in England. He has taken 243 wickets in 164 ODIs so far. Among those are 22 wickets taken in 18 matches against Sri Lanka.
Besides him, 31-year-old right-arm fast-medium bowler Jofra Archer, who has taken 70 wickets in 39 ODIs, another right-arm fast-medium bowler in 28-year-old Gus Atkinson, and young leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed are identified as the main threats in England's bowling attack.
England ODI squad
Harry Brook (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Jordan Cox, Henry Crocombe, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Joe Root and Josh Tongue.
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Based on ThePapare reporting