Sri Lanka vs England, ODI Tri-Series: Match preview and stats
What's the story
Sri Lanka and England will face off in Rawalpindi on Thursday in the third match of the ODI Tri-Series, involving hosts Pakistan. Both teams are coming off losses to Pakistan, with Sri Lanka's defeat being a closer 37-run margin compared to England's 87 runs. The match offers a chance for one of these sides to take their first positive step in the tournament. After this clash, the next four matches of the series will be played in Lahore.
Past matches
Sri Lanka and England last met in September
Sri Lanka and England last met in a bilateral series in September, which the latter won 2-1.
Harry Brook's team won by 89 runs and 223 runs, while Sri Lanka managed to equalize in the second ODI at Headingley with a captain's knock of 121 from Kusal Mendis.
Now, both teams will look to build on their previous encounters as they prepare for Thursday's match.
Key players
All eyes on Adil Rashid and Avishka Fernando
Adil Rashid's return to the squad was marred by a hand injury that kept him out of the Sri Lanka series.
He struggled to make an impact in his first match back, giving away 55 runs in eight overs.
Meanwhile, Avishka Fernando will be looking to make a mark.
He played in the previous clash against Pakistan, scoring only 5 runs.
Playing XIs
Here are the likely playing XIs
ENG probable XI: Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (captain), Jordan Cox (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue.
SL probable XI: Avishka Fernando, Kamindu Mendis Kusal Mendis (captain, wk), Pavan Rathnayake, Sahan Arachchige/Dunith Wellalage, Janith Liyanage, Dasun Shanaka, Sachindu Colombage, Eshan Malinga, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka.
Information
A 300-plus score on the cards
One expects to witness a 300-plus score. Batting conditions will be useful for both sides. Meanwhile, bowlers will find variable bounce in the back end of the innings. One can watch the match from 1:30pm IST onward.
Do you know?
A look at the H2H record
In 85 meetings between the two sides, England have won 42 compared to Sri Lanka's 39. One match ended in a tie whereas three matches didn't produce any result, as per Cricinfo.
Numbers
Player focus: Here are the stats
Joe Root is 64 runs shy of becoming the first Englishman to clock 8,000 in ODIs.
From 196 matches (185 innings), he owns 7,936 runs at 50.54. He has 20 hundreds and 48 fifties under his belt.
Root owns 1,502 runs versus Sri Lanka at 62.58 (100s: 3, 50s: 11).
In 160 ODIs, Sri Lanka's Mendis has recorded 5,178 runs at 36.20. He has 7 hundreds and 36 fifties.
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