Not many gave chances to Sri Lanka against England in the first ODI, after the ups and downs they had in the recent past. But they left everything behind and put up a great all-round display to beat England by 19 runs and earned a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series. Kusal Mendis with the bat and Dunith Wellalage's all-round display helped the hosts. put England under pressure, which ended in a win.
England had their moment in the game, especially when Joe Root (61) and Ben Duckett (62) added 117 runs for the second wicket. It was followed by a batting collapse, and they lost 8 wickets for 84 runs. England tried hard, but the wicket wasn't easy. But they will be keen to bounce back and level the series. The second ODI will be live from R. Premadasa Stadium on January 24 (Saturday) at 2:30 PM IST.
SL vs ENG: Match Info.
·Series: Sri Lanka vs England ODI Series 2026
·Match: Sri Lanka vs England, 2nd ODI
·Venue: R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo
·Time: 2:30 PM IST
·Date: January 24, 2026 (Saturday)
Sri Lanka vs England: Head-to-Head: SL (38) – ENG (38)
Sri Lanka recorded their 38th ODI win over England in the first game. A total of 80 ODIs have been played between these sides. England also have 38 wins, whereas there are three abandoned games with one tie.
SL vs ENG: Pitch Report
The wicket in Colombo is more in favor of the slow bowlers. The wicket has enough seam movement, and spinners will get a good amount of grip from the wicket. As seen in the last game, the outfield here is a little slow, and the slower you bowl, the more help there will be. With rain around the corner, batting will be even tougher.
SL vs ENG: Live Streaming Details
·TV: Sony Sports Network
·Digital: Sony LIV and FanCode (App or Website)
SL vs ENG: Weather Report
The weather forecast for the second ODI in Colombo shows a strong prediction of rain on Saturday in Colombo. The temperature will be a maximum of 28°C, with 78 percent humidity and an average wind speed of 18 kmph.
SL vs ENG: Last Five Results
England: W, L, L, L, L
Sri Lanka: W, L, L, L, W
Sri Lanka vs England: Predicted XIs:
Sri Lanka: K. Mishara, P. Nissanka, K. Mendis (wk), D. de Silva, J. Liyanage, P. Rathnayake, C. Asalanka (c), D. Wellalage, P. Madushan, J. Vandersay, A. Fernando
England: Z. Crawley, B. Duckett, J. Root, H. Brook (c), J. Bethell, J. Buttler (wk), S. Curran, J. Overton, R. Ahmed, L. Dawson, A. Rashid
SL vs ENG: Players to Watch out for
England: Joe Root is a perfect guy to bat on such slow pitches. His immense experience is key for England when the wickets are slow. He already showed that in the first game as well.
Sri Lanka: Dunith Wellalage is a perfect guy for these pitches. He gets good help from the wicket and with the bat, he gives you good contributions. His all-round game is perfectly suited for this pitch.
Sri Lanka vs England Today’s Match Prediction:Sri Lanka have a massive edge of home conditions, and they have picked up an excellent squad for these conditions. England also have a pretty decent spin unit but it is about the ability of their fast bowlers to take wickets. The English seamers took only one wicket in the game as compared to four wickets for Sri Lanka.
England have a little weaker batting unit for these conditions, and then their pace bowling was an issue. Sri Lanka have batters who can adjust well, and they showed that in the first game. Hence, we give an edge to Sri Lanka heading into this game.
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