It was a morale-boosting win for England in the second ODI vs Sri Lanka, and they badly needed it given the winter they’ve had and the loss in the first match. Credit has to go to them for bouncing back, especially as it came slightly against the odds. The conditions were very similar to the first game: a turning pitch and conditions that have traditionally been England’s nemesis. The big question was how they would cope, and they answered it by bowling well and batting sensibly. That performance will give them a lot of confidence going into the next game, particularly as one would expect similar conditions again. They’ll take plenty of learning from that victory.
I’d be surprised if England change the balance of their side too much. Zak Crawley has missed out because of injury, but it would make sense to continue with broadly the same balance, especially given how effective all the spin options were.
England rarely have that many spin bowlers at their disposal, and it worked well for them. That said, I’m not a massive fan of opening the batting with Rehan Ahmed. I don’t quite understand why, when you have Jos Buttler in the side, you don’t use him as an opener. Seeing Buttler at number six feels like a waste. He’s one of the best white-ball players in the world, and if things go to plan for England, he may barely get a chance to influence the innings. That simply doesn’t make sense to me and is something England really need to think about.
Looking at the batting line-up more broadly, balance is a recurring theme. I’m a huge fan of Jacob Bethell, and the left-hand, right-hand combination he offers with Ben Duckett works well and gives flexibility. I’m all for that kind of adaptability. However, the danger comes when you have Harry Brook, one of the finest white-ball batters in the world, batting at five, and Jos Buttler at six. For me, that balance doesn’t quite work. Those two need to play a far more substantial role in building a really big innings. In modern white-ball cricket, scores of 350 or even 400 are going to become more normal in good conditions. That’s obviously not the case on these pitches, but as a general rule moving forward, it’s something England must look at seriously.
Joe Root has been sublime. In these conditions, he is an absolute must at number three. If England were playing in different conditions, then Will Jacks could be considered as a flexible option at three, but here, Root is by far England’s best player of spin and needs to be batting early. He’s been outstanding. Duckett has also shown encouraging signs and looks to be coming back into form, even if he’s not quite at his best yet. Overall, there are positives for England with the bat going forward.
The injury situation may actually help England rebalance their side slightly in these conditions, particularly given the effectiveness of all their spin options. While I wouldn’t personally open with Rehan, England seem keen on making those kinds of decisions. I would still prefer to see Buttler opening.
This next game is massive for England. Some people will say it’s just an ODI series and question what relevance it has with a T20 World Cup coming up. I actually think it has great context—not because the result of the series will be remembered forever, but for a couple of important reasons. First, when you’re heading into a T20 World Cup, and you have T20 series to follow, it’s crucial that players get time in the middle. A 50-over contest before a T20
tournament allows more players to spend meaningful time batting and bowling, and that is valuable preparation. People may argue that a 50-over game has no relevance to a T20 World Cup, but I strongly disagree. Psychologically, this game carries a lot of weight.
If England can win this series and play well again in conditions that are unfamiliar to them— conditions they may face in the T20 World Cup—that’s a big deal. It becomes an important confidence-builder. There’s also the added factor of Harry Brook as captain. He’s been in the headlines for the wrong reasons recently, but I thought he played exceptionally well in the last game. Spin is something he finds tricky as a batter, yet he came through and guided his team home. That will do him the world of good personally. His leadership will be tested again, but if he and the team can get over the line once more, it will be a massive boost for the dressing room heading into the T20 phase of the tour and the World Cup itself.
England’s bowling clearly has real strengths. Adil Rashid continues to be a colossus. He may be getting older, but he seems to be as good as ever, if not better. He remains such a dominant figure with the ball and will have a huge influence over the next month or so.
Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are very comfortable in these home conditions. Watching the last game, I felt they may have been almost too comfortable batting first. There was a sense of “we’ll get whatever score we get and defend it.” At times, they were a little pedestrian and didn’t hit enough boundaries. Conditions weren’t easy, but I think they’ll take a lot from that match and may look to be more aggressive next time. They’ll now feel more of a threat from this England side, especially after England chased down what was a relatively straightforward target.
From England’s point of view, the big worry remains the batting if Joe Root gets out early. That’s where concerns about the order—and the positioning of Brook and Buttler—really come into focus. Sri Lanka are still a very strong side in home conditions, but they may reflect and feel they could have been more aggressive with the bat to post a more competitive first-innings total.
All three games being played at the same venue also matters. It helps the away side because you get used to the conditions and can plan more effectively. With the next game also at the same ground, that familiarity may continue to work in England’s favour as the series progresses. We’ll have to wait and see how it plays out.
