England waited more than a year for an away one-day victory, and when it came in Colombo it arrived on a surface that pleased almost no one. The visitors chased 220 with five wickets and 25 balls in hand, yet both Joe Root and captain Harry Brook were happier about the result than the pitch that produced it.
Root anchored the reply with 75 from 90 balls, his second half-century in three days, while Brook curbed his instinctive stroke-play for a 71-ball 42. The pair shared 81 for the third wicket and, in truth, held the chase together on what Brook later labelled “that pitch is probably the worst pitch I’ve ever played on”. Root, hardly one for headline lines, was still blunt: “I don’t think that’s a great wicket for ODI cricket, if I’m being brutally honest.”
England had not won an overseas ODI since Antigua in November 2024. Five defeats on the spin followed, plus a tame loss in Thursday’s opener here. So, relief rather than delight was the mood once Jos Buttler’s brisk unbeaten 33 (21 balls, two fours, two sixes) closed the match.
Key facts up front
• Sri Lanka 219 all out in 49 overs; England 220-5 in 45.5
• Six England bowlers delivered spin – a first for them in ODIs – and 40.3 out of 49 overs were slow bowling
• Player of the Match: Joe Root, 75 (90 balls)
• Series now 1-1 with one to play
Why the pitch bothered everyone
Khettarama can be tacky early in a series, but this strip never sped up. Even the new ball stopped, and neither side recorded a single boundary in the first five overs of their innings. Brook’s strike-rate (56.00) was lower than any of his Ashes efforts bar a first-ball duck, telling its own tale. “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,” he said. Root expanded on the theme: “I was just trying to take the ball as late as possible,” adding that England “found a way today” after misreading conditions in game one.
How England’s spinners set it up
Rehan Ahmed, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Will Jacks, Brook himself and the part-time darts of Dawid Malan combined for almost 41 overs. Only Sam Curran and Gus Atkinson offered pace for more than a token burst. Sri Lanka’s batters, unable to drive through the line, nudged and nurdled until something eventually gave. Charith Asalanka’s 56 and Angelo Mathews’ 38 gave the hosts a platform at 146-3, but regular mis-hits to the ring cost them momentum and wickets. Livingstone (3-36) picked up two during a clumsy final ten overs in which Sri Lanka mustered just 46 runs.
England’s chase – the short version
• 33-0 after the powerplay – no fireworks, but no panic
• Malan lbw, Jacks caught at deep square: 51-2
• Root and Brook combine for 81, working angles, milking singles
• Brook holes out; Root bowled trying to force Chamika Karunaratne – 171-5, still 49 short
• Buttler trusts the pitch least of all and opts for muscle, his 21-ball cameo closing the match before dew could complicate things
“It’s nice to get a win away from home and on a tough surface,” Brook said. “We’re happy to get the victory.” Root, whose ODI average in Sri Lanka now sits at 64.9, paid tribute to the setting if not the strip. “I always love coming to Sri Lanka. It’s a great country. I always feel extremely welcomed from everyone, and obviously enjoy playing here. So it’s nice to get the win on a very difficult surface.”
What the numbers say
England’s six spinners eclipsed their previous record of five used in St Kitts in 2009. The tactic may be horses-for-courses rather than long-term planning, but it solved a problem here. Sri Lanka scored at 3.96 per over against spin, compared with 5.20 off the pacers. By contrast England managed 4.55 overall, nudging clear when it mattered.
Former Sri Lanka opener T.M. Dilshan, speaking to local radio, called the pitch “a two-day Test wicket masquerading as an ODI surface”. England batting coach Marcus Trescothick was measured: “The lads handled it well, but we’d rather see something that gives both bat and ball a fair go.”
Looking ahead
The decider is on Sunday, and both teams expect another slow deck, perhaps not quite this slow. England may retain the same XI; the debate is whether to recall Mark Wood for extra pace or continue suffocating with spin. Sri Lanka are sweating on Wanindu Hasaranga’s fitness – the leg-spinner sat out again with a sore ankle, and the attack missed his control.
Longer view
England’s next fifty-over assignment after this tour is the Champions Trophy qualifiers in Zimbabwe. Slow, low surfaces could be the theme once more, so Friday’s outing holds more value than a single tick in the ‘W’ column. Brook praised Root’s method: “His ability to be able to get off strike, and put the bad ball away when they slightly miss, is awesome. He’s a phenomenal player to have in our side.” The lesson is clear: if you cannot force the pace, work the angles, stay patient and let the opposition crack first.
Still, the captain would prefer not to have to say it again: “That pitch is probably the worst pitch I’ve ever played on.”
