0
4
0
4
1
0
= 9
Match Details
ENG vs SL, 2nd ODI, ENG vs SL 2026 live
ENG
223-5(46.2)
England won by 5 wickets 🏆
SL
(49.3)219-10
+
P'ship : 34(22)
Commentary
All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Milestone
That's it from our coverage of the 2nd one-day international between Sri Lanka and England. The series is well set for the grand finale at the same venue on Tuesday. Ninaad Dixit here signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Dev Rajawat and scorer Ghanendra Singh Thakur. Stay tuned for more action from around the world.
Harry Brook (England Captain): “Yeah, definitely. It’s really nice to finally get a win away from home, especially on such a tough surface. We’re happy to come away with the victory and break that run of results.
We’ve played on two very different pitches in this series, and the approach had to change. To be honest, this was probably one of the worst wickets I’ve ever played on. You had to adapt as quickly as possible, find ways to get off strike, and keep the scoreboard moving. It wasn’t a pitch where you could play freely - it was all about managing the situation.
I thought our bowlers were outstanding. Sri Lanka are used to these conditions, so to bowl them out like that was a brilliant effort from the group. With the spinners, the plan was really just to rotate them постоянно, keep things slow, and build pressure. We had six spin options, which is something England haven’t done often, but it suited these conditions perfectly.
We did have a change as well - Crawley missed out with his knee injury, so Will Jacks came into the side. He slotted into the middle order and did a really good job, especially with the ball.
And about Joe Root - he’s an exceptional player. His ability to get off strike, find gaps, and punish even slightly bad deliveries is incredible. He’s a phenomenal cricketer to have in our team and someone you can learn so much from just by watching.
Overall, it was a great win for us, and hopefully we can keep building from here.”
We’ve played on two very different pitches in this series, and the approach had to change. To be honest, this was probably one of the worst wickets I’ve ever played on. You had to adapt as quickly as possible, find ways to get off strike, and keep the scoreboard moving. It wasn’t a pitch where you could play freely - it was all about managing the situation.
I thought our bowlers were outstanding. Sri Lanka are used to these conditions, so to bowl them out like that was a brilliant effort from the group. With the spinners, the plan was really just to rotate them постоянно, keep things slow, and build pressure. We had six spin options, which is something England haven’t done often, but it suited these conditions perfectly.
We did have a change as well - Crawley missed out with his knee injury, so Will Jacks came into the side. He slotted into the middle order and did a really good job, especially with the ball.
And about Joe Root - he’s an exceptional player. His ability to get off strike, find gaps, and punish even slightly bad deliveries is incredible. He’s a phenomenal cricketer to have in our team and someone you can learn so much from just by watching.
Overall, it was a great win for us, and hopefully we can keep building from here.”
Charith Asalanka (Sri Lanka Captain): "[whether 219 was enough] We were short at least 30 runs. Kusal's run out and my dismissal, Janith and Dhananjaya's as well. Few areas to improve.
[on not enough twos] We have to be smart enough. In this heat it gets sometimes hard to push every run to seconds. We have to save our energy as well.
[where the game was lost] Credit to their batters and Joe Root the way he played in the middle period. We tried everything, pacers and spinners, but the credit goes to them.
[on the fielding] In 2 years our ODI side has done brilliantly in the fielding.
[on the series finale] Excited and want to do the basics right again. We need a big hundred from a batter."
[on not enough twos] We have to be smart enough. In this heat it gets sometimes hard to push every run to seconds. We have to save our energy as well.
[where the game was lost] Credit to their batters and Joe Root the way he played in the middle period. We tried everything, pacers and spinners, but the credit goes to them.
[on the fielding] In 2 years our ODI side has done brilliantly in the fielding.
[on the series finale] Excited and want to do the basics right again. We need a big hundred from a batter."
Joe Root (Player of the Match): “I always love coming to Sri Lanka. It’s a wonderful country, and you always feel extremely welcome here. I really enjoy playing in these conditions, so it’s nice to get a win on what was actually a very difficult surface.
It wasn’t an easy pitch for ODI cricket, if I’m being brutally honest. Batting looked challenging all game, but I think the key is trying to play the ball as late as possible and staying really calm at the crease.
As a group, we adapted well today. We learned from the mistakes we made in the first game, both with bat and ball, and managed to find a way to get across the line. We knew the approach had to be about maximising the Powerplay, building a couple of big partnerships, and having one or two batters stay in for a long period of time.
On a surface like this, once you get momentum, it becomes difficult for the opposition to pull it back, and thankfully, we were able to execute that plan. In terms of adjusting, I think it comes down to experience. I’ve played a lot of cricket in the subcontinent, and here in Sri Lanka, so you start to understand the different bounce, how the ball can turn, and what to expect from the surface.
It’s also about reading the ball out of the hand as early as possible. Once the ball gets older and softer, it becomes slightly easier, but early on, when it’s new and doing a bit - skidding, turning - you have to be very precise with your footwork. I’m really pleased we managed to get the job done today.”
It wasn’t an easy pitch for ODI cricket, if I’m being brutally honest. Batting looked challenging all game, but I think the key is trying to play the ball as late as possible and staying really calm at the crease.
As a group, we adapted well today. We learned from the mistakes we made in the first game, both with bat and ball, and managed to find a way to get across the line. We knew the approach had to be about maximising the Powerplay, building a couple of big partnerships, and having one or two batters stay in for a long period of time.
On a surface like this, once you get momentum, it becomes difficult for the opposition to pull it back, and thankfully, we were able to execute that plan. In terms of adjusting, I think it comes down to experience. I’ve played a lot of cricket in the subcontinent, and here in Sri Lanka, so you start to understand the different bounce, how the ball can turn, and what to expect from the surface.
It’s also about reading the ball out of the hand as early as possible. Once the ball gets older and softer, it becomes slightly easier, but early on, when it’s new and doing a bit - skidding, turning - you have to be very precise with your footwork. I’m really pleased we managed to get the job done today.”
Player of the Match: Joe Root
9:37 PM IST, Local Time: England with a thumping 5-wicket win keep the series alive leveling it 1-1! Jos Buttler puts the finishing touches after the bowlers set up with a tidy effort in the first innings with Sri Lanka winning the toss and opted to bat again.
There were no half centuries in the Lankan innings with Charith Asalanka (45) and Dhananjaya de Silva (40) adding 56 runs for the 4th wicket. Couple of wickets each for Adil Rashid, Jamie Overton and Joe Root held the hosts down to 219 in 49.3 overs.
Rehan Ahmed was pushed up at the batting order opening with Ben Duckett but added just 13 off 18 deliveries before he was cleaned up by de Silva. Duckett and Root then added 68 runs for the 2nd wicket, Jeffrey Vandersay bowling Duckett with a terrific leggie for 39.
Jacob Bethell soon departed for 6 but Root found an able partner in skipper Harry Brook (42 off 75). Root brought up yet another half century batting at a quick pace and added 81 runs for the 4th wicket with Brook.
Asitha Fernando trapped the English top scorer on a yorker, a review was taken but umpire's call meant Root had to walk back. Jeffret Vandersay then trapped Brook in the 43rd over. Jos Buttler at number 6 played a whirlwind knock of 33 in 21 deliveries and remained unbeaten with 3 fours and a maximum.
Vandersay was the pick of the bowlers with 2/45, Dhananjaya de Silva also picked up 2/37. Asitha Fernando got a key breakthrough in form of Root pulling the game towards the hosts before Buttler did what he did. Skipper Asalanka also played a good hand with the ball allowing just 27 runs in his 8 overs.
Stay tuned as we return with the post match presentation.
There were no half centuries in the Lankan innings with Charith Asalanka (45) and Dhananjaya de Silva (40) adding 56 runs for the 4th wicket. Couple of wickets each for Adil Rashid, Jamie Overton and Joe Root held the hosts down to 219 in 49.3 overs.
Rehan Ahmed was pushed up at the batting order opening with Ben Duckett but added just 13 off 18 deliveries before he was cleaned up by de Silva. Duckett and Root then added 68 runs for the 2nd wicket, Jeffrey Vandersay bowling Duckett with a terrific leggie for 39.
Jacob Bethell soon departed for 6 but Root found an able partner in skipper Harry Brook (42 off 75). Root brought up yet another half century batting at a quick pace and added 81 runs for the 4th wicket with Brook.
Asitha Fernando trapped the English top scorer on a yorker, a review was taken but umpire's call meant Root had to walk back. Jeffret Vandersay then trapped Brook in the 43rd over. Jos Buttler at number 6 played a whirlwind knock of 33 in 21 deliveries and remained unbeaten with 3 fours and a maximum.
Vandersay was the pick of the bowlers with 2/45, Dhananjaya de Silva also picked up 2/37. Asitha Fernando got a key breakthrough in form of Root pulling the game towards the hosts before Buttler did what he did. Skipper Asalanka also played a good hand with the ball allowing just 27 runs in his 8 overs.
Stay tuned as we return with the post match presentation.
OVER 47
England
223/5
Will Jacks
8(8)
Jos Buttler
33(21)
Pramod Madushan
0-20(3.2)
46.2 P Madushan to W Jacks
4 FOUR! DONE AND DUSTED! Much fuller and on the pads. Jacks gets forward and flicks it to deep mid-wicket for a boundary to seal the deal. ENGLAND HAVE DEFEATED SRI LANKA BY 5 WICKETS WITH 22 BALLS TO SPARE! THEY HAVE ALSO LEVELLED THE 3-MATCH SERIES BY 1-1 WITH THIS WIN!!!
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