Joe Root put on a batting masterclass and scored his 20th ODI ton before he was overshadowed by England captain Harry Brook who turned his beast mode on as he scored 136 unbeaten runs off 66 balls his 3rd ODI ton and his highest individual score as England thrashed Sri Lanka in the last 10 overs to power the score to 357/3 in 50 overs.
It was a hard day for the Sri Lankan bowlers with them barely able to take wickets with Wanindu Hasaranga, Jeffrey Vandersay, and Dhananjaya de Silva taking one wicket apiece. But most of them were taken to the cleaners as England have put massive runs on the board and will be favourites to win the series at the innings break.
England gets off to a steady start in mandatory powerplay despite losing Ben Duckett early
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, Rehan Ahmed and Ben Duckett came out to bat for England while Asitha Fernando had ball in hand for Sri Lanka. Rehan got off the mark with a boundary with a drive through covers. Janith Liyanage had ball in hand from the other end. He bowled a decent over. Asitha continued and bowled another good over. Liyanage too kept things tight. Asitha bowled another quiet over. Liyanage delivered a maiden as well.
Dhananjaya de Silva came into the attack next. He struck straightaway as he removed Duckett for 7 off 17 balls as he played the reverse sweep straight to cover point where Dunith Wellalage took the catch. Joe Root came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Wellalage now came into the attack. He bowled a tight over. de Silva continued as Rehan got a life with the bowler dropping a tough catch of his own bowling. Rehan added salt to the wounds by hitting the bowler for back-to-back boundaries first through midwicket and then through mid-off. Root got into the act as he chipped it through mid-on for a boundary.
Wellalage continued and bowled the last over of powerplay and bowled a decent over as England ended the powerplay overs at 40/1 in 10 overs with Rehan unbeaten on 24 off 34 balls while Root was with him on 8* off 9 balls.
Rehan Ahmed falls but Joe Root and Jacob Bethell drives England forward
Wanindu Hasaranga came into the attack post the powerplay and he struck for Sri Lanka by dismissing Rehan Ahmed for 24 off 37 balls with 3 fours to his name as the batter pulled it uppishly to short midwicket where Jeffrey Vandersay took the catch. Jacob Bethell came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Root hit Hasaranga by reverse sweeping it behind point for a boundary. Wellalage continued and bowled a decent over.
Hasaranga continued as Bethell reverse swept him away past point fielder for a boundary. Jeffrey Vandersay came into the attack next. He started his spell with a decent over. Hasaranga continued and bowled a decent over. Root completed 5000 ODI runs at Number 3. Vandersay bowled a decent over. Hasaranga continued and bowled a tight over. Vandersay bowled another quiet over. Wellalage returned to the attack and bowled a decent over. England were 73/2 in 19 overs when players paused for the first Drinks Break of the day.
Vandersay continued after the break as Sri Lanka burnt a review for LBW against Root with the ball impacting outside off-stump. England were 77/2 in 20 overs. Wellalage continued as Root rocked back and pulled it away over short midwicket for a boundary. Vandersay continued and bowled a decent over. Captain Charith Asalanka came into the attack next as the 50-run stand came up between the two players. Hasaranga returned to the attack as Root picked the length early and rocked back to pull it away over deep midwicket for the maximum as the 100 came up for England in 23.2 overs.
Sri Lanka burnt another review as the LBW appeal against Bethell was turned down as the ball pitched outside the leg stump. Asalanka continued as Bethell swept him away to the midwicket region for a boundary. Bethell once again punched the ball through the covers as the ball raced away to the fence. England reached 111/2 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the game with Joe Root unbeaten on 46 off 50 balls and Jacob Bethell unbeaten on 31 off 46 balls.
Jacob Bethell falls after scoring a half-century but Joe Root and Harry Brook puts England in a dominant position
Wanindu Hasaranga continued as Bethell cleared his front leg and slog swept it through deep midwicket for a boundary. Charith Asalanka continued and bowled a decent over. Asitha Fernando continued as Root reached his 46th ODI fifty in 54 balls. Dhananjaya de Silva came back into the attack as Root got a triple with a reverse sweep through third man.
Asitha continued as Bethell drove the ball through midwicket and mid-on for a boundary as the 100-run stand came up between the duo while Bethell reached his fifty in 64 balls. Bethell was not done yet as he sliced Fernando past backward point for a boundary. Bethell pulled him away again through deep square leg region for a boundary. The 150 came up for England in 29.4 overs. Bethell hit another boundary with a drive through extra covers as England reached 154/2 in 30 overs.
Wellalage returned to the attack as Root swept him past deep square leg fielder for a boundary. Root went again as he swept him past midwicket for a boundary. Vandersay returned and got rid of Bethell for 65 off 72 balls with 8 fours to his name as the pull was hit straight to midwicket where Liyanage took the catch. Captain Harry Brook came out to bat next as he hung back and cut it past point for a boundary. Wellalage continued and bowled a decent over. Vandersay continued as Root reverse swept him past the keeper for a boundary. Root again pulled it hard past deep midwicket for a boundary.
England were 181/3 in 34 overs at the second Drinks Break. Wellalage continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Hasaranga returned as Brook came down the track and smoked it over long-on for the maximum. Brook hit Hasaranga for a boundary as he hit it to deep midwicket and long-on gap. Dhananjaya returned to the attack as England reached 200 in 36.2 overs. Hasaranga continued and bowled a better over.
De Silva continued as Brook came down the track and went inside out over long-off for the maximum as the 50-run stand came up between the two players. Vandersay returned as Root swept him away past deep square leg for a boundary. England were 227/3 in 40 overs with Root unbeaten on 91 off 88 balls while Brook was unbeaten on 35 off 26 balls.
Joe Root’s 20th ODI ton and Harry Brook’s unbelievable ton powers England to 357/3
Asitha Fernando came back into the attack and bowled a decent over. Dunith Wellalage bowled a tight over. Fernando continued as Brook cover drove him past covers for a boundary before the bowler gifted 4 byes to the batting side. Hasaranga continued as the 250 came up for England in 43.5 overs and then Brook went inside out over extra cover for the maximum. Brook reached his fifty in 40 balls as well.
Wellalage continued as Root completed his 20th ODI ton off 100 balls. Brook then hit Wellalage for the maximum by rocking back and thumping it over covers. Brook hit another boundary by paddling it through short third man for a boundary. The 100-run stand came up between the two players. England were now 269/3 in 45 overs.
Hasaranga continued as Root rocked back and pulled it to deep midwicket for a boundary. Brook took on Hasaranga and pulled it over cow corner for the maximum. Vandersay came back into the attack as Brook pummelled the ball over deep midwicket for the maximum. Asitha Fernando continued as the 300 came up in 47.1 overs. Brook chipped Asitha over covers for a boundary. Brook hit Fernando by opening the bat and face over short third man for a boundary. Brook hit another boundary towards the midwicket region.
Vandersay came to bowl the 49th over as Brook reached his hundred in 57 balls with a slap through covers for a boundary. This was his 3rd ODI hundred. Brook was in the mood now as he launched Vandersay over cow corner for the maximum. Brook then switched his stance and hit it over right of short third man for a boundary. Vandersay dropped a tough catch running back as Brook got a lifeline. DDS did brilliantly in the boundary line to save some runs for his side before Brook pounced on the width offered to beat diving deep cover fielder for a boundary.
Asitha came to bowl the final over of the innings as Brook went leg side and lofted it over wide long-off for the maximum. Brook again hit a boundary by slashing it over backward point fielder for a boundary. The 350 came up for England in 49.5 overs. Brook finished things off in style with a maximum over deep extra cover as Brook reached his highest ODI score.
Brook was unbeaten on 136 off 66 balls with 11 fours and 9 sixes to his name while Joe Root held the innings together with 111* off 108 balls with 9 fours and one six to his name as England ended with a mammoth 357/3 in 50 overs. 14 extras given by the fielding side.
It was a hard day for the Sri Lankan bowlers to say the least. Wanindu Hasaranga finished with 1/76 in 10 overs. Jeffrey Vandersay finished with 1/76 in 10 overs. Dhananjaya de Silva finished with 1/45 in 5 overs. Asitha Fernando went for 77 in 9 overs. Janith Liyanage finished with 0/7 in 3 overs. Dunith Wellalage bowled decently for his 0/49 in 10 overs. Charith Asalanka finished with 0/20 in 3 overs. Sri Lanka now has a massive chase ahead of them as they will need 358 runs to win the decider match.
Who’s Winning, Sri Lanka or England?Â
It’s safe to say that England have a huge score on the board and have the momentum with them going into the break. Special innings from Joe Root and captain Harry Brook in particular. Sri Lanka has to bat out of their skins to win this contest from here. Definite advantage to England as this looks like 20-30 above par on a good surface.
Let’s see how the chase unfolds from here.
Also Read: SL vs ENG: Joe Root’s All-Round Show Helps England Level The Series At 1-1