Joe Root delivered a batting masterclass on a turning pitch, leading England to a hard-fought five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka and levelling the three-match ODI series in Colombo on Saturday.
With the series on the line, Root anchored the innings brilliantly, scoring a gritty 75 as England reached their target with 22 deliveries remaining.
Sri Lanka Vs England: 2nd ODI – Highlights
“Nice to get a win on a very difficult surface. The key when you come here is to play as late as possible. To be brutally honest, it wasn’t a great wicket for ODI cricket. But we adapted well and learned from the mistakes in the first game,” said Root.
Chasing a modest 220, England found the target challenging on a pitch that stayed low and heavily favoured spin.
Root
masterfully handled the spinners, using sweep and reverse sweep shots to keep the scoreboard ticking. His 81-run partnership for the fourth wicket with skipper Harry Brook eased the pressure, as Root reached his half-century in just 52 balls.
The rest of the batting lineup wobbled but didn’t collapse completely, with Root’s steady presence masking England’s well-known difficulties against spin.
Root had already scored a half-century in the opening game and once again looked untroubled by the slow bowlers, forcing Sri Lanka to rely on pace. Asitha Fernando eventually dismissed Root with a sharp yorker, trapping him leg before wicket.
By then, England needed just 42 runs from 59 balls, and Jos Buttler calmly finished the job with an unbeaten 33 off 21 balls, securing the win for the former world champions.
Earlier, England’s decision to strengthen their spin attack paid off. Brook used six slow bowlers as Sri Lanka were bowled out with three deliveries to spare. England bowled 40.3 overs of spin, surpassing their previous ODI record of 36 overs against Pakistan in Sharjah in 1985.
Sri Lanka started well but failed to build a substantial innings, repeatedly losing wickets trying to clear the boundary. Not a single batter managed a half-century.
Kusal Mendis, arguably Sri Lanka’s best player of spin, looked fluent during his 26 but was run out attempting a risky single.
“We were short by 30 runs. Kusal’s runout was crucial. But credit to England. We tried everything, and the way Joe Root batted made the difference,” admitted Sri Lanka skipper Charith Asalanka.
The series decider will be played on Tuesday at the same venue before the teams move to Kandy for the three-match T20I series, serving as a final preparation for the T20 World Cup, co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India.
(With inputs from Agencies)
