Harry Brook and Joe Root [Source: @theashishsingh7/x]Harry Brook and Joe Root led England’s run riot against Sri Lanka in the third ODI of their three-match series. Winning the toss and batting first at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday, January 27; the two cricketers unleashed blistering centuries as England mounted 357-3 in 50 overs. Harry Brook, in particular, went berserk to slap his magnum opus ODI performance with an electrifying 136* from just 66 balls. Brook also crafted a huge stand with his senior teammate to notch up a record partnership in the history of England vs Sri Lanka ODI cricket. Harry Brook and Joe Root fire England to big total with record partnership Harry Brook, batting at number five, arrived to the crease at 166-3 in 31.1 overs. Joining a well-set Joe Root after the loss of half-centurion Jacob Bethell (65 off 72), both cricketers shared an unbroken 191-run partnership for the fourth wicket to storm the visitors to 357-3. The partnership between Harry Brook and Joe Root marked the second-best stand by any England pair against Sri Lanka in ODI cricket. The two cricketers went past ex-English batters Alastair Cook & Craig Kieswetter, who shared 171* against Sri Lanka back in 2011 for the opening wicket in Nottingham. Following Harry Brook and Joe Root’s run riot in Colombo, here is a look at three of England’s highest partnership against Sri Lanka in ODI cricket for any wicket. Highest Partnerships for any Wicket for England vs Sri Lanka in ODIs: 256* – Alex Hales & Jason Roy, Birmingham, 2016 (1st wicket) 191* – Harry Brook & Joe Root, Colombo (RPS), 2026 (4th wicket) 171* – Alastair Cook & Craig Kieswetter, Nottingham, 2011 (1st wicket) Harry Brook and Joe Root negate Sri Lanka’s early advantage Sri Lanka struck the early blow with the huge wicket of England opener Ben Duckett for just seven off 17 balls in the seventh over of the match. Dhananjaya de Silva orchestrated Duckett’s departure after the latter mistimed a reverse-sweep. Fellow England opener Rehan Ahmed compiled 24 from 37 balls with three boundaries before the cricketer had his well-set stay halted by senior spinner Wanindu Hasaranga. Tottering at 40-2, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell led England’s counterattack with a 126-run partnership for the third wicket. Bethell made 65 off those runs from 72 balls before getting dismissed by Jeffrey Vandersay at 166-3. With Harry Brook and Joe Root forming forces thereafter, England extracted 191 runs off the final 113 balls of the innings to blaze to 357-3. Century number 20 for Joe Root, highest ODI score for Harry Brook Joe Root belted nine boundaries and a six to reach 111* off 108 balls by the completion of the English innings. His latest century marked Root’s 20th ODI hundred, and extended his 50-overs international tally past 7,500 runs. For Harry Brook, the innings marked only his third ODI century and the highest of his ODI career. He eclipsed his previous best score of 135 against New Zealand.
