Joe Root England ODI performance played a decisive role as England bounced back strongly to level the ODI series against Sri Lanka. Root starred with both bat and ball, guiding England to a five-wicket win in the second ODI in Colombo, with nearly four overs to spare.
After winning the toss, Sri Lanka chose to bat and got off to a confident start with a boundary off the very first ball. However, England struck early as Kamil Mishra fell cheaply. On a dry Colombo surface, England quickly turned to spin, introducing Liam Dawson as early as the seventh over to apply pressure.
Spin choke puts Sri Lanka under pressure
England continued to attack with spin from both ends as Will Jacks, Adil Rashid, and Jacob Bethell joined the attack. The move paid off as Sri Lanka’s scoring rate dropped sharply. Although Pathum Nissanka briefly counterattacked with a six, he was dismissed soon after. Kusal Mendis also fell following an unnecessary run-out, leaving the hosts struggling.
Dhananjaya de Silva and Charith Asalanka then rebuilt the innings with a steady partnership, handling spin more effectively. Just as Sri Lanka looked set for a strong finish, England struck again. Regular wickets in the middle and death overs ensured Sri Lanka could not accelerate.
Joe Root capped off the innings perfectly, picking up the final two wickets in the last over to bowl Sri Lanka out for 219 in 49.3 overs.
Joe Root anchors England’s chase
Chasing 220, England began cautiously. After the early dismissal of Rehan Ahmed, it was Joe Root who steadied the innings, striking the first boundary of the chase. Root looked fluent from the start, racing to 18 off just 13 balls.
Ben Duckett provided solid support, growing in confidence as he took on Sri Lanka’s spinners. England looked comfortable by the 15th over, but the hosts clawed back briefly when Duckett and Bethell were dismissed in quick succession.
Root then showed his class and composure, batting patiently alongside Harry Brook. He handled spin with ease and brought up his half-century off 52 balls. Although his scoring rate slowed after reaching fifty, England remained well in control.
Buttler finishes the job
Sri Lanka caused a late scare when Asitha Fernando and Jeffrey Vandersay removed both Root and Brook, but Jos Buttler ensured there were no further hiccups. The England captain played a brisk unbeaten knock of 33 off 21 balls to seal the victory.
The Joe Root England ODI masterclass proved to be the difference as England comfortably crossed the target in 46.2 overs, leveling the series and regaining momentum.
Brief Scores
Sri Lanka 219 in 49.3 overs (Charith Asalanka 45; Joe Root 2/13, Jamie Overton 2/21)
England 223/5 in 46.2 overs (Joe Root 75, Harry Brook 42; Dhananjaya de Silva 2/37)
England won by 5 wickets
