England are one victory away from finally winning another one-day international series away from home.
Not since a 2-1 success in Bangladesh in March 2023 have they lifted a 50-over trophy on their travels, with four series defeats on the trot since then, plus a horrendous ODI World Cup title defence in India in which they were dumped out in the first round and then the 2025 Champions Trophy when they once again failed to get out the group.
The bilateral series struggles have featured a pair of 2-1 losses in the West Indies, plus 3-0 sweeps in India and New Zealand.
Fans would have been fearing that losing record would inevitably stretch to five after Harry Brook’s side crumpled to a 19-run defeat chasing 272 in the series opener against Sri Lanka – Brook stumped for six amid a costly collapse of 5-36 in Colombo.
England captain Harry Brook was stumped for six as his side lost their first ODI in Sri Lanka last week
But Brook and Joe Root then played key roles in the second ODI as England snapped an 11-match losing streak in 50-over matches away from home with a five-wicket triumph, reaching their target of 220 with 15 balls to spare on a pitch that was heavily criticised.
Pitch in focus as England and Sri Lanka meet in series decider
Brook, who made 42 from 75 balls, called the slow surface “the worst he has ever played on”, while player of the match Root, who top-scored with 75 from 90 deliveries, added that “it was not a great wicket for ODI cricket, if I’m being brutally honest”.
It was a great result for England, though. Their first win since it was revealed Brook had been struck by a nightclub bouncer the evening before an ODI in New Zealand in November. Their first win since the error-strewn 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia.
It eased the pressure a tad on head coach Brendon McCullum and securing a series victory on Tuesday (9am UK) would be another step in the right direction ahead of the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 – a tournament McCullum probably needs to go well if he is to keep his job amid a post-Ashes ECB review.
England head coach Brendon McCullum is under pressure after the 4-1 Ashes thrashing in Australia
So, how will the pitch play in the series decider?
Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka is hopeful of a surface similar to match one, although he did hint that he did not think the deck for game two was as bad as Brook said.
Asalanka told reporters: “That was his opinion – mine might be a bit different. If he says this is the worst pitch he’s seen, that’s something he feels. But between the two teams we hit 440 runs.”
Dawson focused on T20 World Cup – not Test recall
Liam Dawson is in England’s T20 World Cup squad, with the tournament getting under way on February 7
Left-arm spinner Liam Dawson is in line for his first appearance at a T20 World Cup after not playing a game at the 2016 version and then twice being a travelling reserve, first in 2021 and then again a year later.
The Hampshire player, who took a wicket apiece across the first two ODIs in Sri Lanka, said: “Obviously the older you get, sometimes you don’t expect to be involved.
“I’m 35 but it’s been amazing to be back involved. Obviously the World Cup is going to be a really cool occasion if selected to play and I’m really looking forward to that.
“It is exciting to go to a World Cup and play there. Hopefully we can win [the third ODI], build some momentum in the T20s against Sri Lanka and go to the World Cup full of confidence.”
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Watch Dawson pick up his first Test wicket in eight years, against India in Manchester last summer
Dawson played his first Test match in eight years at home to India last summer, playing the fourth game of the series in Manchester, but he was then left out of the final game at The Kia Oval and did not make the subsequent Ashes squad.
However, with England’s first-choice red-ball spinner Shoaib Bashir not playing a Test at all in Australia this winter – part-timer Will Jacks played in four games, principally for his batting – is Dawson eyeing another Test recall?
He added: “It’s not something I’ve overly thought about. I’ve obviously got the T20 World Cup to focus on first, domestic cricket in England, so we’ll see how that goes and where we end up.
“It was enjoyable to play Test cricket again, but you can’t control selection at times.”
Follow live text coverage of the third and final ODI between England and Sri Lanka on the Sky Sports App from 8.30am on Tuesday (9am first ball).
England in Sri Lanka – results and fixtures
All times UK and Ireland
First ODI (Colombo) – Sri Lanka win by 19 runsSecond ODI (Colombo) – England win by five wicketsThird ODI (Tuesday January 27) – Colombo (9am)First T20 (Friday January 30) – Pallekele (1.30pm)Second T20 (Sunday February 1) – Pallekele (1.30pm)Third T20 (Tuesday February 3) – Pallekele (1.30pm)
