Harry Brook slams 'worst pitch' after second SL-ENG ODI
What's the story
England captain Harry Brook has slammed the Khettarama pitch in Colombo as "probably the worst pitch I've ever played on." His criticism came after England's five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the second ODI of their series. The match was played on a dry and slow surface, where England used six different spin options across 40.3 overs of Sri Lanka's innings, a record for England in ODIs.
Performance review
Brook's subdued performance on challenging pitch
Despite his criticism of the pitch, Brook managed to score 42 runs off 71 balls. His strike rate of 56.00 was slower than all but two of his 10 Ashes innings, one being a first-ball duck. Joe Root also scored a Player-of-the-Match-winning 75 off 90 balls, but admitted that he didn't think it was a great wicket for ODI cricket.
Adaptation
Brook acknowledges the challenge of adapting to conditions
Brook acknowledged the challenge of adapting to the difficult pitch, saying, "You had to go out there and adapt as quick as possible, and just try to get off strike and get the other batter on strike." "That pitch is probably the worst pitch I've ever played on," he added Meanwhile, Root praised Brook's ability to adjust quickly on such surfaces, noting his adaptability and performance.
Experience
Root's experience helps England navigate challenging conditions
Root, who has played nearly 400 international matches, said he used his experience to deal with the quick transition from Ashes to ODIs in Sri Lanka. "I have an understanding of the different nature of the bounce, and how the ball can turn," he said. He also emphasized on being precise with footwork in these conditions where there's some skid and spin at the start.
Admission
Sri Lanka's captain admits to being short on runs
Sri Lanka's captain Charith Asalanka admitted that his team was "at least 30 runs short" in the match. He also acknowledged that their batters had contributed to their own downfall, especially Kusal Mendis who was run out for 26. Despite this, Asalanka credited England's batters Joe Root and Harry Brook for their performance during the middle period of the game.