A wounded England side will be looking to salvage the ODI series vs Sri Lanka when they return to the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo for the 2nd of three 50-over internationals, on January 24.
A 5-36 collapse in their pursuit of 272 snapped the wheels off their batting line-up, as England fell 19 runs short of the score despite the 117-run stand between Joe Root and Ben Duckett. Earlier, a well-constructed 93* from Kusal Mendis had put Sri Lanka in the driver's seat, before contributions aplenty from the bowlers broke the back of England's chase.
Spotlight on the England middle order against spin
Both sides had plenty to prove heading into the series, with Sri Lanka having been blown away 0-3 by Pakistan in November 2025, and England licking their wounds after a dismal Ashes campaign.
But the Lankan Lions are a different proposition at home. They've clinched eight wins in the last 10 matches at this venue.
Charith Asalanka deployed a four-man spin attack in the first match, and the quartet finished with combined figures of 35-0-135-6, highlighting the struggles of England's batters in the middle overs.
Jeffrey Vandersay spearheaded the comeback, scalping the prized wicket of Duckett (62) to break his stand with Root, as the Three Lions imploded despite late cameos from Rehan Ahmed and Jamie Overton.
The bigger question, however, remains how the visitors will tackle a potent spin attack on a wicket that's historically popular for deteriorating rapidly in the second innings.
"The pitch got a little bit more extreme. The turn and the lack of bounce became more pronounced. It was proving very difficult to start as a batter out there," exclaimed Harry Brook, who admitted that acclimatizing to the degrees of spin proved challenging for his side.
In all fairness, the England skipper averages 19.42 in Asia in this format, marking the underlying concerns of the batting line-up after Root. Jacob Bethell is 19 ODIs old, while Jos Buttler has entered on poor form with scores of 4, 9 and 38 vs New Zealand in a series that witnessed England's deep-rooted concerns with the willow, as they posted totals of 223, 172 and 222.
A silver lining in the previous outing was the depth in England's batting order, but formulating partnerships remains key for the tourists.
Top Wicket Taker - England: Adil Rashid
Adil Rashid delivered a lion-hearted 3-44 from his quota of 10 overs. He valiantly tossed the ball up, drawing vicious grip and turn off the surface. He brought all his experience to the table when he removed Janith Liyanage with a top-spinning googly.
The 37-year-old has been a terrific leader of the ODI attack for a while now, and with the variable bounce and slowness of the pitch that's on offer in Colombo, he could prove to be England's key weapon once again.
Rashid starred in the home ODIs against West Indies and South Africa too, amassing 17 wickets in just six games.
The latest Sri Lanka vs England 2nd ODI odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Match Winner - Sri Lanka
If the squad structures are taken into consideration, Sri Lanka are packed with experience. Dhananjaya de Silva returned to the side and and immediately produced an impactful spell of 1/22 off his eight overs.
On the contrary, England fielded a host of fledgling all-rounders in Jacob Bethell and Rehan Ahmed, among others.
While Sri Lanka's approach was summarized by key contributions shepherded by an anchoring role from Mendis, England faced an all-too-familiar collapse. The hosts could further bolster their ranks by calling upon Wanindu Hasaranga, who has the best bowling figures ever on this ground (7/19).
England, meanwhile, have more questions than answers, having already entered off the back of just four wins in 15 ODIs in 2025.
And although they are fancied as favorites, not many eyebrows will be raised if Sri Lanka seal the series and pile further misery on Brendon McCullum and Brook.
