By Dwayne Ferreira
England skipper Harry Brook blasts the pitch as “the worst he’s ever played on” even as England come out on top.
England finally halted their dismal away record last night, securing a composed five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium to level the three-match series at 1-1. On a treacherous surface that captain Harry Brook describes as “wasn’t a really good wicket”, a clinical all-round performance from Joe Root proved to be the difference, setting up a winner-takes-all series decider on Tuesday.
After Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat, England’s tactical shift was immediate and effective. Learning from the first match, Brook leaned heavily on his slow bowlers, delivering a record-breaking 40 overs of spin. The strategy strangled the Sri Lankan middle order, which struggled to find boundaries on a pitch that stayed low and offered sharp turn from the outset.
Captain Charith Asalanka (45) and Dhananjaya de Silva (40) provided some resistance, but neither could convert their starts into a match-winning score. England’s disciplined attack, led by Adil Rashid (2/34) and a surprising but effective spell from Joe Root (2/13), ensured the hosts were bundled out for a sub-par 219 with three balls to spare.
The chase began on a knife-edge as Rehan Ahmed, promoted to open the batting, fell early. When Ben Duckett (39) was cleaned up by a beauty from Jeffrey Vandersay, England found themselves at 88/2 and facing the same spin-induced panic that derailed them on Thursday.
However, Joe Root demonstrated exactly why he remains England’s most vital asset in the subcontinent. Playing the ball incredibly late and using the sweep to disrupt the lengths of Dunith Wellalage, Root anchored the innings with a masterful 75 off 90 balls. He found a steady partner in Harry Brook (42), and together they forged an 81-run stand that effectively broke the back of the chase.
Though Root fell to a pinpoint yorker from Asitha Fernando and Brook followed shortly after, the result was never truly in doubt. Jos Buttler provided the finishing touch with a brisk, unbeaten 33 off 21 balls, including a massive six that eased any lingering nerves. England crossed the line with 22 balls to spare, ending a 14-month wait for an away ODI victory.
Chief Scores:-
Sri Lanka – 219 all out in 49.3 overs (Charith Asalanka 45, Dhananjaya de Silva 40, Pavan Rathnayake 29, Joe Root 2 for 13, Jamie Overton 2 for 21, Adil Rashid 2 for 34)
England – 223 for 5 in 46.2 overs (Joe Root 75, Harry Brook 42, Ben Duckett 39, Jos Buttler 33*, Dhananjaya de Silva 2 for 37, Jeffrey Vandersay 2 for 45, Asitha Fernando 1 for 31)
Player of the Match – Joe Root (75 and 2 for 13)
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