England
Sri Lanka
England will face Sri Lanka in the first ODI at Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, with the hosts entering the series after a 3-0 T20I sweep. England will look to carry that momentum into the one-day format, while Sri Lanka will aim to respond after struggling to compete across the 3 T20Is.
England will be confident from their recent batting performances, with different players making key contributions in each T20I. They will look to build strong partnerships and maintain pressure through the middle overs. Sri Lanka will need a more consistent effort with both bat and ball to challenge the hosts.
The recent ODI head-to-head record suggests a closer contest. In the last 5 meetings, England and Sri Lanka have 2 wins each, while one match ended without a winner. Both sides have won once while chasing and once while defending, setting up a competitive opening ODI.
England’s stronger batting depth and the recent form of Jos Buttler, Harry Brook and Joe Root give them the edge in run-scoring potential as compared to Sri Lankan batters.
The betting tip is...
Top Batter’s Team - England
63 %
37 %
EnglandSri LankaEngland have a strong batting unit for the opening ODI, with Jos Buttler, Harry Brook and Joe Root providing experience and recent form. Root had scored 625 runs in his last 10 ODIs at an average of 104.17 and a strike rate of 91.37. Brook had added 393 runs at an average of 43.67 and a strike rate of 118.37 in his last 10 ODIs.
Buttler had led England’s T20I scoring with 172 runs in 3 innings at an average of 86.00, while Brook had scored 170 runs at 85.00. Sonny Baker and Liam Dawson had taken 6 wickets each in the T20I series, while Jamie Overton had claimed 5 wickets. England’s bowling options also included Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue.
Buttler, Brook and Root are the key batters in the side.
Predicted Lineup: Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Joe Root, Jordan Cox, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Josh Tongue, Gus Atkinson/Sonny Baker, Adil Rashid
Sri Lanka had struggled in both departments throughout the T20I series and had failed to put up a strong challenge in any of the three matches. No Sri Lankan batter had crossed the 100-run mark, with Pathum Nissanka finishing as their highest scorer with 85 runs.
Wanindu Hasaranga, Eshan Malinga and Dushmantha Chameera had taken two wickets each, but none of the bowlers had produced a match-winning spell. Nissanka had scored 451 runs in his last 10 matches at an average of 50.11 and a strike rate of 86.73, while Kusal Mendis had added 308 runs at 38.50 and a strike rate of 79.17.
Chameera and Asitha Fernando had both taken nine wickets in their recent matches. Sri Lanka had entered the ODI on the back foot after their poor T20I performances.
Nissanka, Mendis and Asalanka are the key batters in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (c, wk), Charith Asalanka, Kamindu Mendis, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushamantha Chameera, Eshan Malinga, Dilshan Madushanka, Maheesh Theekshana
England will carry strong momentum into the first ODI after a dominant 3-0 T20I series win. Their batting will be their main advantage, with Jos Buttler and Harry Brook both scoring more than 170 runs across the 3 T20Is.
Joe Root will also add experience and recent ODI form after scoring 625 runs in his last 10 matches at an average of 104.17.
Sri Lanka will need a major improvement after no batter managed to cross 90 runs in the T20I series. Pathum Nissanka’s 85 runs were their best return, while their bowling attack also struggled to contain England’s batters.
With more batting depth and several players in good form, England should produce the stronger run-scoring performance in the opening ODI.
