COLOMBO: Contrasting centuries from Joe Root and Harry Brook propelled England to a 53-run victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo on Tuesday to secure a 2-1 win in their one-day international series.
After electing to bat, England were behind when Ben Duckett (seven) and Rehan Ahmed (24) fell in the first 11 overs.
But Root and Jacob Bethell stepped in to stabilize the innings, compiling a controlled 126-run stand for the third wicket.
Bethell’s assured 65 came to an end when Jeffrey Vandersay struck, but Root found a perfect partner in captain Brook as the two shifted the innings into high gear. Their unbeaten 191 runs from 113 balls took England’s total from competitive to imposing.
Brook plundered an ODI career-best 136 from 66 deliveries, smashing 11 fours and nine sixes, while Root made an unbeaten 111 from 108 balls to guide England to an impressive 357-3.
Sri Lanka started their chase with intention.
Kamil Mishara contributed 22, and Pathum Nissanka hammered five fours and three sixes in a 24-ball fifty before his dismissal by Jamie Overton dampened the momentum.
Captain Charith Asalanka (13) and Janith Liyanage (22) fell cheaply as England applied sustained pressure with disciplined bowling.
The hosts slipped to 202-6 in the 32nd over, and although Pavan Rathnayake (121) kept Sri Lanka afloat with a composed maiden ODI century, the wickets continued to fall around him.
Rathnayake’s resistance ended when Sam Curran broke through his defense with a full delivery that knocked back leg stump, and Sri Lanka were bowled out for 304.
Sri Lanka had won the first ODI by 19 runs before England leveled the series with a five-wicket victory.
The teams will now turn their attention to a three-match Twenty20 series which begins on Friday.
DASHBOARD
ENGLAND:
R. Ahmed v Vandersay b Hasaranga 24
B. Duckett v Wellalage b de Silva 7
J. Root not released 111
J. Bethell v Liyanage b Vandersay 65
H. Brook not absent1 36
ADDITIONAL (B-4, LB-3, W-7) 14
TOTAL (for three wickets, 50 overs) 357
DID NOT BEAT: J. Buttler, W. Jacks, S. Curran,
J. Overton, L. Dawson, A. Rashid
FALL OF Wickets: 1-19 (Duckett), 2-40 (Ahmed), 3-166 (Bethell)
BOWLING: Fernando 9-0-77-0 (4w), Liyanage 3-1-7-0, de Silva 5-0-45-1, Wellalage 10-0-49-0, Hasaranga10-0-76-1 (1w), Vandersay 10-0-76-1, Asalanka 3-0-20-0 (1w)
SRI LANKA:
P. Nissanka c (sub) b Overton 50
K. Mishara c Ahmed b Jacks 22
K. Mendis v Brook b Overton 20
P. Rathnayake b Curran 121
C. Asalanka v Brook b Rashid 13
J. Liyanage exhausted 22
D. de Silva v Brook b Jacks 9
D. Wellalage c Jacks b Dawson 22
W. Hasaranga v Duckett b Rashid 9
J. Vandersay v Curran b Dawson 14
A. Fernando not absent 0
ADDITIONAL (LB-1, W-1) 2
TOTAL (all out, 46.4 overs) 304
FALL OF Wickets: 1-48 (Mishara), 2-85 (Mendis), 3-94 (Nissanka), 4-131 (Asalanka), 5-174 (Liyanage), 6-202 (de Silva), 7-252 (Wellalage), 8-264 (Hasaranga), 9-298 (Vandersay)
BOWLING: Overton 4-0-48-2 (1w), Curran 5.4-0-44-1, Dawson 10-0-48-2, Jacks 8-0-43-2, Rashid 10-0-61-2, Bethell 5-0-28-0, Ahmed 4-0-31-0
RESULT: England won by 53 points.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Harry Brook
SERIES: England won the three-match series 2-1.
PLAYER OF THE SERIES: Joe Root
Published in Dawn, January 28, 2026
