Sri Lanka vs England Prediction & Match Preview – 2nd ODI, Colombo

Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka will be pleased with how his bowlers worked together in the first match, when a strong collective effort through the middle overs helped them defend a modest total. The batting, however, was below par and needs to improve. Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara gave a solid start, Kusal Mendis is in good touch, and Dhananjaya de Silva and Asalanka are there to support him, with Janith Liyanage and Pavan Rathnayake expected to supply quick runs lower down.

With the ball, Asitha Fernando and Pramod Madushan will try to break England’s top order early, while Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage, both impressive last time, aim to repeat their form. Asalanka and Jeffrey Vandersay play supporting roles.

England, led by Harry Brook, are looking to recover from an unexpected defeat in which a middle-overs collapse cost them a chase they were expected to manage. Ben Duckett looked in good touch and will partner Zak Crawley, with Joe Root holding the middle together alongside Brook and Jacob Bethell. Sam Curran was effective even on a flat pitch and will share the new ball with Jamie Overton, while Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson, strong in the middle overs last time, will look to repeat that. It is a must-win game for the tourists.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

The R Premadasa surface is usually good for batting in white-ball cricket, with true bounce that lets set batters play their shots. Pacers may find some movement early, but it fades. Spinners have a big role in the middle overs, where changes of pace and flight control scoring. In day-night games dew can make chasing easier.

Weather

Around 2:30 pm local time on 24 January, Colombo is expected to be hot and humid at roughly 29 to 31°C with partly cloudy skies. There is a moderate chance of scattered showers, which could bring short interruptions, but a prolonged washout is not the main concern.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 270–290
• 2nd innings: 260–285