Sri Lanka vs England | England tour of Sri Lanka, 2026 | 3rd ODI

That's all, folks! It's a wrap from the three-match ODI series between Sri Lanka and England. Harry Brook collects the series-winning trophy and the English players pose for a team photo. A massive boost for them after a tough Ashes tour and they would love to take this momentum into the T20Is as well. Sri Lanka will square off against England again, as both teams look to get in final preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The three-match T20I series will be played in Pallekele starting Friday, the 30th of January. The first ball will be bowled at 1.30 pm GMT, but you can tune in a lot sooner to our build-up. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!

The captain of England - Harry Brook credits his recent work with Joe Root in the nets for his success today. He's thrilled to have contributed to the total alongside Root and Jacob Bethell. He then praises Root, calling him exceptional and saying that having him in the side is a huge help. He commends the team's effort, particularly the spinners, who he says bowled well in tandem with superb communication. Brook mentions that the toss didn't end up being as crucial as expected, and the pitch turned out to be better than expected as well. He's happy that the team was able to post a good score and defend it successfully. He also appreciates the way the batters put pressure on the opposition bowlers.

The Sri Lankan captain - Charith Asalanka says that it was a good game, but he is disappointed with the result. The positive thing is that they found a prominent number 4 in the form of Pavan Rathnayake. Adds that in the second game, they could have batted well but in this game, they were undone by the knocks of Joe Root and Harry Brook. Further adds that it was tough to contain the batters at the death and they had the extra spinner as they thought it would turn a bit more. Ends by saying that the T20 series is crucial for them as it is the last series before the important T20 World Cup and they want to put their best foot forward.

PLAYER OF THE SERIES - Joe Root is the Player of the Series for amassing 247 runs across the three games. Root starts off stating that at this stage in his career, the primary motivation is to win games for his country. He acknowledges his role in the team, which is to help the younger players navigate the challenges of the game. He further praises the team's performance, particularly highlighting Bethell's and Brook's innings, which showcased the team's capabilities in the 50-over format. He notes that the team had a tough period but is now back on track. The win will boost the confidence of the players who will stay back for the T20s. Root also welcomes the long break before the next match, looking forward to spending time with family and preparing for the upcoming Test series. He sees the break as an opportunity to recharge and come back stronger.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Harry Brook is adjudged the Player of the Match for his stellar unbeaten knock of 136 (66).

Time for the Post-match Presentations...

Bright flame but didn't burn long enough - In both innings, Sri Lanka had the better start but couldn't capitalize. They got a couple of early wickets and kept the runs in check but lost the plot through the middle overs and just leaked boundaries at the death. With that bat, Pathum Nissanka came out all guns blazing and looked in pristine touch but it seemed like every Sri Lankan batter just wanted to hit the boundaries. They notched up 104 runs inside 10 overs but lost their top three as well. There wasn't a single stand beyond the 50-run mark through the opening and middle phase but Pavan Rathnayake did hold up one end well. It was with Dunith Wellalage that Rathnayake finally managed to put on a stand of 50 runs, but immediately after that, Wellalage too fell. In the end, Rathnayake fought all on his own and notched up a maiden ODI ton but it simply wasn't enough.

England ruled the death overs - It was a clinical showing from England overall but they came up clutch in the final 10 overs of both innings and that made a huge difference. After starting slowly with the bat, Joe Root built a couple of monster stands with Jacob Bethell and then Harry Brook to take England to a monumental total. Root and Brook both notched up their individual centuries but the latter was really prolific at the death. With the ball, England were peppered in the first 10 overs, conceding 104 runs but they managed to pick up 3 wickets. Jamie Overton did particularly well to come back and get two quick wickets. England bowled plenty of spin through the middle phase and it was Will Jacks who got a couple of crucial wickets. The likes of Liam Dawson and Adil Rashid finished strongly with a couple of wickets each and Sam Curran cleaned things up to seal a 53-run victory.

The streak is broken - After 12 straight bilateral series at home without a loss (11 wins and a draw) and being on a streak of 8 straight series wins at home, Sri Lanka have finally fallen. The unlikeliest of teams in England are the ones who bring down the empire. And we say unlikeliest, because of their recent ODI form away from home. Overall, it was a fascinating series, filled with excitement and drama, but at the end, England have come from behind to clinch it 2-1.