Sri Lanka vs England | England tour of Sri Lanka, 2026 | 1st ODI

Another defeat for England in the ODI format exposes the ongoing middle-order inconsistencies, and concerningly, this is their fourth ODI loss in a row. They will need to work hard to tighten the loose ends, with the batting heavily reliant on Joe Root and, to some extent, Harry Brook. Sri Lanka utilised their bowling stocks exceptionally well through spin, though there is always room for improvement regardless of the result. Their pacers were targeted at times and would need to refine their execution moving forward. Okay then, Sri Lanka take an early lead in the 3-match series by 1-0 and would hope that they seal the series in the 2nd ODI itself. England will aim to bounce back and push the contest into a decider. The second ODI will be played on Saturday, 24th January and the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 2.30 pm IST (9 am GMT). But our buildup will begin well in advance. Until then, cheers.

The victorious captain of Sri Lanka, CHARITH ASALANKA, is all smiles as he now walks up for a chat. He says he is not overly worried but stresses that there are areas to improve, particularly in pace bowling. He adds that otherwise the team performed well. He notes that in the first 25 overs, the ball would not spin, so he instructed the bowlers to keep it tight. Adds that after the 25th over, the ball started to turn, and the spinners bowled effectively. Asalanka highlights Wellalage’s contribution, saying that although he didn’t get much time with the bat, he still caused significant damage, took two wickets, and took a couple of good catches. He also mentions that he enjoys bowling, having bowled quite a bit over the past two years.

The captain of England, HARRY BROOK, reflects on the defeat. Begins by saying that the toss proved crucial in the end, but credits Sri Lanka for playing a better game and that they deserved the victory. He adds that England bowled well, particularly the spinners, but Sri Lanka got the better of them in the final over, which can happen in ODI cricket. He praises the Sri Lankan side, noting their spinners used the pitch to their advantage and executed a very good game plan. Brook also highlights the contributions of Duckett and Root, who batted well despite a tricky start on a difficult wicket. He admits that losing a few quick wickets in the middle overs put England on the back foot.

Sri Lanka's DUNITH WELLALAGE is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his all-round performance. He says that when he came to the middle he wanted to support Kusal Mendis, who was batting really well. In the last three overs, he adds, they focused on scoring as many runs as possible. He stresses that the most important aspects of his bowling were pace variations and maintaining the right line.

... THE PRESENTATION ...

Sri Lanka piled on a competitive total, comfortably surpassing the Premadasa average of 223 to take early command in this series opener. After handy starts from Nissanka and Mishara, the innings was shaped by Kusal Mendis, who stood firm with a determined unbeaten 93, steadying the ship as wickets fell and forging a crucial 88-run stand for the fifth wicket with Janith Liyanage. Even while nursing a back niggle, Mendis batted through the innings, and a late flourish from Dunith Wellalage pushed the hosts beyond 270 and into a strong position. For England, barring Adil Rashid, who took a brilliant 3-for, nobody could actually pick wickets at crucial moments.

England were dead and buried with the final rites being read, but Jamie Overton refused to surrender. Everyone knows the raw power this man wields with the bat. With hopes hanging by a thread, he took on the Sri Lankan pacers and sent a few soaring over the ropes, clawing back some respectability to the margin. The task was monumental and, in the end, Sri Lanka slammed the door shut. Still, the contest stretched all the way to the final over, and Overton offered a vivid reminder of England’s batting depth. If just someone from the middle order had risen to the occasion, who knows how different the ending might have been for England.

Root was stubborn, picking off singles and sneaking the occasional boundary, while Duckett bided his time before unleashing his signature flair. Together, they stitched a 117-run alliance, which was a template in strangling the middle overs and keeping Sri Lanka at bay. Then came the first hammerblow with Duckett out for 62 and the wobble began. The real hammerblow landed on England when Vandersay fished out Root for 61 and from that moment, England’s chase nosedived spectacularly. Wickets tumbled like dominoes with Brook, Bethell, and Buttler falling one after another. A chase that was once under control turned into anything but, with England sliding from a commanding 129/1 to 213/9.

England couldn't have gotten off to a worse start as they lost Zak Crawley inside the first three overs. The pitch was on the slower side, and it got a bit more sluggish with a few balls not rising up from the same lengths. So it required a lot more watchfulness and respect by playing through the line of the ball rather than cross-batted strokes. Ben Duckett struggled to time the ball for most of his innings, but Root showed the right temperament to bat on such tracks. The key here was spin. It was always going to be a huge difference maker on a pitch like this.

How the tables have turned! Sri Lanka were desperate for wickets while Joe Root and Ben Duckett were building a massive partnership and keeping England in control. But the hosts showed exactly why they are so formidable on home soil. They made the most of bowling under the lights on a slow surface, and one of the standout features was their sharp fielding, which turned pressure into wickets and helped them seize control of the game. Cast your minds back to the last over of the first innings. Jamie Overton went for 23 runs, a costly over that stretched the margin and ultimately made all the difference in the final outcome.

Phew! 6 balls left, England need 20 runs. Remember, Sri Lanka scored 23 off the final over. And if you believe in the circle of life, it was Jamie Overton who bowled the last over. And now, he is on strike. Can he do the job with the bat? Pramod Madushan to bowl and wrap up.