- Sri Lanka and England close Rawalpindi game in search of first points. Both teams have suffered defeats against Pakistan and know each other quite well, having played a bilateral series in September. The three that matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are all smiling after Pat Cummins’ dismissal. The three that matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, all smiling after the dismissal of Pat Cummins, India v Australia, World Cup, Chennai, October 8, 2023 Shane Warne Australia v New Zealand 2nd Test, day one, at the WACA, Perth, Thursday 20th November 1997 Dilshan Madushanka in joy after bowling Ben Duckett, England v Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI, The Oval, September 27, 2026 It has been barely a month since these teams faced off to end England’s season.
- Sri Lanka and England meet in Rawalpindi on Thursday in this unique trilogy.
- Having started their respective schedules with defeats against Pakistan – who now effectively have one foot in next Saturday’s final – they have the honor of finishing the game of this exhibition in Rawalpindi.
Sri Lanka and England close Rawalpindi game in search of first points. Both teams have suffered defeats against Pakistan and know each other quite well, having played a bilateral series in September. The three that matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are all smiling after Pat Cummins’ dismissal. The three that matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, all smiling after the dismissal of Pat Cummins, India v Australia, World Cup, Chennai, October 8, 2023 Shane Warne Australia v New Zealand 2nd Test, day one, at the WACA, Perth, Thursday 20th November 1997 Dilshan Madushanka in joy after bowling Ben Duckett, England v Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI, The Oval, September 27, 2026 It has been barely a month since these teams faced off to end England’s season.
Sri Lanka and England meet in Rawalpindi on Thursday in this unique trilogy. Having started their respective schedules with defeats against Pakistan – who now effectively have one foot in next Saturday’s final – they have the honor of finishing the game of this exhibition in Rawalpindi. Since many positional maneuvers have to be carried out, the risk is minimal.
The beauty of the three series is that you don’t have to be the best team to reach the final, just the least bad. Thursday offers one of these parties the opportunity to take the first positive step. Both remained under 300, although Sri Lanka’s 37-run defeat was the slimmest of margins.
They stumbled to 210 for 4, chasing 306; England were left 87 behind at 120 for 1 with 183 balls needed and 190 available to clear. As the northern hemisphere’s summer turned cold, the two met and Harry Brook’s charges achieved a comfortable 2-1 victory. Wins by 89 and 223 runs led to Sri Lanka’s equalizer in the second ODI at Headingley, inspired by Kusal Mendis’ clannish 121.
After Tuesday’s game, Brook praised the play of Arafat Minhas, who took 6 for 40 in the chase, but admitted he felt England’s batters played a little too cautiously with the left-arm spinner. It is not the first time that a member of this England team – whether player or staff – has wondered out loud whether the cause of a defeat was a lack of aggression. But he does have a point.
It could also be argued that Brooks’ mastery of the field enabled Pakistan’s lower middle order to break away from England and pass the 300 mark. Only Will Jacks and Jamie Overton bowled in their allotted 10 overs and the decision to bowl Joe Root for the 46th over – which turned out to be 12 – was an unnecessary risk. Sri Lanka’s spinners, particularly left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage, who took 3 for 49 in that win at Leeds, and leg-spinner Sachindu Colombage, will be prepared for a more confrontational England.
And indeed, their own batsmen might wonder whether their pursuit failed for similarly conservative reasons. Adil Rashid takes his first wicket of the series, England v India, 3rd ODI, Lord’s, London, July 19, 2026 Sri Lanka: LLWLW (last five games completed, last first) England: LWLWW It was a less than glorious return for Adil Rashid on Tuesday. A hand injury prevented him from taking part in the Sri Lanka series that rounded off England’s summer, but the star player was back in the squad and…struggling to make an impact.
Rashid managed 55 in eight overs, including 24 at the blade of Hasan Nawaz, with the 24-year-old hitting three of his four sixes in his 79 against Rashid. For the fourth time in as many ODIs – three against India this summer – Rashid was not asked to play to his full limit. At 38, it is not unreasonable to wonder whether his strength is fading and how much it might diminish by next winter’s ODI World Cup.
A better forecast should allay these fears somewhat. Avishka Fernando’s first ODI pearance since February 2025 didn’t take long, recovering after nine balls off Naseem Shah. Had Pathum Nissanka been fit, it would be unlikely that he would have played in his 52nd game against Pakistan, but the 28-year-old has another chance to press his case after returning to domestic form.
As a clean boundary striker, Sunday’s flasher – however brief – needs to be directed to what should start as another real strike box. Dunith Wellalage makes breakthrough for Sri Lanka, England v Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI, Headingley, September 24, 2026 Predicting Sri Lanka’s XIs is a lottery but they will undoubtedly look to repeat the joy of Minhas but by reinstating Wellalage. Sahan Arachchige is the most likely to retire.
Sri Lanka (probable XI): 1 Avishka Fernando, 2 Kamindu Mendis 3 Kusal Mendis (ct, sem), 4 Pavan Rathnayake, 5 Sahan Arachchige/Dunith Wellalage, 6 Janith Liyanage, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Sachindu Colombage, 9 Eshan Malinga, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Dilshan Madushanka Consistent selection, especially given the New role definition means England are likely to return with the same starting XI that failed on Tuesday. That being said, the temptation to win Josh Tongue’s hearts for Sonny Baker will be strong. England (Probable XI): 1 Tom Banton, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook (ct), 5 Jordan Cox (wk), 6 Sam Curran, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Gus Atkinson, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Josh Tongue Both teams opted to play first due to the expected thaw in these 1pm games. begins.
And even though that hpened, it didn’t have the desired effect on the Pakistan bowlers. One imagines that neither will give up the chase if they win the toss, but a few different setbacks at the end of both games suggest that these Rawalpindi players are operating in the dark. The last few days have been a bit of a step backwards: go up to 300 and you’re the favorite.
Stats and trivia Joe Root is 64 runs away from becoming the first Englishman (and 34th overall) to reach 8,000 ODIs. Dunith Wellalage is five in 50 ODI dismissals. “I feel like it’s probably the most convincing loss we’ve had in a long time last year…it’s a good sign in a way.” Harry Brook on England’s return after their opening defeat to Pakistan. Both teams are coming off defeats against Pakistan and know each other quite well, having played a bilateral series in September. Dilshan Madushanka she with joy after bowling. Ben Duckett, England v Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI, The Oval, September 27, 2026 Wellalage makes the breakthrough!
And how Sri Lanka needed this! Banton leaves the field, but may not be fully on the field. He looks for the loft drive over extra cover, but it’s straighter than he’d like and he can only look for a wide long-off, which doesn’t go wrong. A huge and given chime!
Thrown against the stumps and Duckett misses the sweep. This sneaks under the club and hits him front, front and back of the leg. Root tells his partner to forgo the test and Duckett has to go.
It seemed to crash into the middle and leg. And out of nowhere, Sri Lanka got Root! It was a back-of-a-length, perhs the cutter – it definitely stopped in the box – as Root tries to work it on the back foot but ends up closing the face a little too early. The top edge points slightly towards the center gate and the support is broken – but has the damage already been done?
England with a great platform here Brook falls from the last delivery! And Jacks is right to praise his ctain off the field. It was a wide, full piece, hollowed out but wedged tightly in the back.
But that is hardly the point. England finished the game with a monstrous 429 for 4! And out of nowhere, Sri Lanka got Root!
It was a back-of-a-length, perhs the cutter – it definitely stopped in the box – as Root tries to work it on the back foot but ends up closing the face a little too early. The top edge points slightly towards the center gate and the support is broken – but has the damage already been done? England with a great platform Wellalage makes the breakthrough here!
And how Sri Lanka needed this! Banton leaves the field, but may not be fully on the field. He looks for the loft drive over extra cover, but it’s straighter than he’d like and he can only look for a wide long-off, which doesn’t go wrong. A huge and given chime!
Thrown against the stumps and Duckett misses the sweep. This sneaks under the club and hits him front, front and back of the leg. Root tells his partner to forgo the test and Duckett has to go.
This seemed to collse in the middle and Brook’s leg fell on the final delivery! And Jacks is right to praise his ctain off the field. It was a wide, full piece, hollowed out but wedged tightly in the back.
But that is hardly the point. England finished the game with a monstrous 429 for 4! Wellalage makes the breakthrough!
And how Sri Lanka needed this! Banton leaves the field, but may not be fully on the field. He looks for the loft drive over extra cover, but it’s straighter than he’d like and he can only look for a wide long-off, which doesn’t go wrong. A huge and given chime!
Thrown against the stumps and Duckett misses the sweep. This sneaks under the club and hits him front, front and back of the leg. Root tells his partner to forgo the test and Duckett has to go.
It seemed to crash into the middle and leg. And out of nowhere, Sri Lanka got Root! It was a back-of-a-length, perhs the cutter – it definitely stopped in the box – as Root tries to work it on the back foot but ends up closing the face a little too early. The top edge points slightly towards the center gate and the support is broken – but has the damage already been done?
England with a great platform here Brook falls from the last delivery! And Jacks is right to praise his ctain off the field. It was a wide, full piece, hollowed out but wedged tightly in the back.
But that is hardly the point. England finished the game with a monstrous 429 for 4! beauty, pings the top of off!
Kamindu thought he had that covered with a classic defensive shot, but turned around and saw the zing flash. Perfect length and juuuuussst enough to hit the outside edge and esce. England has its first And here is the breakthrough!
Very similar to Root’s firing today. Overton’s extra jump helps here, as Avishka tries to deflect the ball so far, but in the end only conjures up a leading edge that Overton devours with relish. Avishka is three runs short of a century. Avishka Fernando made his first half-century since being recalled, England v Sri Lanka, Tri-Series, October 22, 2026, driven into the non-striker’s goal, did Atkinson have something to say about it?
And did Kusal have too little ground? The bowler is confident and we go to the third umpire. UltraEdge detects the slightest movement in Atkinson’s fingertips and Mendis’ stick is a few inches too short.
This is going to be out! Starting faceless, a double whammy for SL at the start of this monster race sends Rathanayake into the holes! England finally breaks the stand.
With a weary look from Rathnayake, he trudges away, but he has covered the hard yards in this chase towards the sky. Shanaka tries to shoot the ball up but has no legs and Banton brings it to safety by running long to the right. Shanaka fails! He chooses long and England hits back!
Dawson scored and Shanaka hit the big shot to reach triple figures. He hit it pretty well, but Banton is probably the safest pair of hands in the England team and big enough to pull the ball past the rope. Brilliant innings from Shanaka nonetheless.
And another twist in this chase! misses a full throw at long range! The height is almost a no-ball and they will check it.
It looks like this is a legal ball, so Arachchige is on the way. But the damage was done for England after the middle stump was flattened! Around the wicket, Tongue aims for the stumps and Wellalage misses with a huge swipe down the line!
Equally important, it stops Liyanage from going on strike. Nerves increasing for SL? yorked first ball!
The mop brings England back from the dead! The tongue becomes full, fast and straight and helps itself to another piece of rabbit cake, beauty, ping the top! Kamindu thought he had that covered with a classic defensive shot, but turned around and saw the zing flash.
Perfect length and juuuuussst enough to hit the outside edge and esce. England have their first flattened middle stump! Around the wicket, Tongue aims for the stumps and Wellalage misses with a huge swipe down the line!
Equally important, it stops Liyanage from going on strike. Nerves increasing for SL? yorked first ball!
The mop brings England back from the dead! The tongue becomes full, fast and straight and he helps himself to another piece of rabbit cake. And there you have it, the breakthrough! Very similar to Root’s firing today.
Overton’s extra jump helps here, as Avishka tries to deflect the ball so far, but in the end only conjures up a leading edge that Overton devours with relish. Avishka fails three times in the course of a century. Shanaka fails! He chooses long and England hits back!
Dawson scored and Shanaka hit the big shot to reach triple figures. He hit it pretty well, but Banton is probably the safest pair of hands in the England team and big enough to pull the ball past the rope. Brilliant innings from Shanaka nonetheless.
And another twist in this chase! Avishka Fernando celebrates his first half-century since being recalled, England vs Sri Lanka, Tri-Series, October 22, 2026. Rathanayake hits holes! England finally breaks the stand.
With a weary look from Rathnayake, he trudges away, but he has covered the hard yards in this chase towards the sky. He tries to shoot the ball up but doesn’t have the legs and Banton places it safely, running to the right, from a long throw to a long shot! The height is almost a no-ball and they will check it.
It looks like this is a legal ball, so Arachchige is on the way. But after that, England was damaged in terms of beauty, this is the highlight! Kamindu thought he had that covered with a classic defensive shot, but turned around and saw the zing flash.
Perfect length and juuuuussst enough to hit the outside edge and esce. England have their first training session in the non-striker camp, did Atkinson touch it? And did Kusal have too little ground?
The bowler is confident and we go to the third umpire. UltraEdge detects the slightest movement in Atkinson’s fingertips and Mendis’ stick is a few inches too short. This is going to be out!
Left without confrontation, a double blow for SL at the start of this monster hunt. And here is the breakthrough! Very similar to Root’s firing today. Overton’s extra jump helps here, as Avishka tries to deflect the ball so far, but in the end only conjures up a leading edge that Overton devours with relish.
Avishka falls three runs short of a century. Avishka Fernando hits his first half-century since being recalled, England v Sri Lanka, Tri-Series, October 22, 2026. Rathanayake hits holes! England finally breaks the stand. With a weary look from Rathnayake, he trudges away, but he has covered the hard yards in this chase towards the sky.
Shanaka tries to shoot the ball up but has no legs and Banton brings it to safety by running long to the right. Shanaka fails! He chooses long and England hits back! Dawson scored and Shanaka hit the big shot to reach triple figures.
He hit it pretty well, but Banton is probably the safest pair of hands in the England team and big enough to pull the ball past the rope. Brilliant innings from Shanaka nonetheless. And another twist in this chase!
misses a full throw at long range! The height is almost a no-ball and they will check it. It looks like this is a legal ball, so Arachchige is on the way.
But the damage was done for England after the middle stump was flattened! Around the wicket, Tongue aims for the stumps and Wellalage misses with a huge swipe down the line! Equally important, it stops Liyanage from going on strike.
Nerves increasing for SL? yorked first ball! The mop brings England back from the dead!
The tongue goes full, fast and straight and grabs another piece of rabbit cake. Janith Liyanage celebrates with her teammates after hitting a six on the penultimate ball to win the game. Janith Liyanage celebrates with her teammates after hitting a six off the penultimate ball to win the game, England v Sri Lanka, Tri-Series, October 22, 2026. Harry Brook put himself in illustrious company at Pindi – but the only value that mattered was his team defeat Will Jacks congratulates Harry Brook on his double century, England v Sri Lanka, Tri-Series, October 22, 2026 Sri Lanka celebrates victory after Chasing 430, England v Sri Lanka, Tri-Series, October 22, 2026 Sri Lanka celebrates victory after chasing 430, England v Sri Lanka, Tri-Series, October 22, 2026 Both teams have suffered defeats against Pakistan and know each other quite well. after bowling a bilateral series in September Dilshan Madushanka them with joy after bowling Ben Duckett, England v Sri Lanka, 3rd ODI, The Oval, September 27, 2026 ODI Tri-Series (PAK) 2026/27, ENG v SL 3rd Match Match Preview – Sri Lanka, England close Rawalpindi leg in search of first ODI Tri-Series (PAK) points 2026/27 England vs Sri Lanka Match Preview: Both teams have suffered defeats against Pakistan and know each other quite well, having played a bilateral series in September. Both teams have suffered defeats against Pakistan and know each other quite well, having played a bilateral series in September.
