England bat first against Sri Lanka in opening ODI

England chose to bat after winning the toss in the first of three ODIs against Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street, just days after sweeping the visitors 3-0 in the T20s.

Sri Lanka is under more pressure as their T20 campaign ended with a third successive defeat, and England is back at No. 1 in the world T20 rankings, leaving the visitors requiring a far more competitive start in the 50-over format.

Meanwhile, England are using the series as yet another stepping stone to the 2027 World Cup. The side want to keep playing at high intensity, captain Harry Brook said, while former England batter Kevin Pietersen has been brought in as a specialist mentor to help the white-ball squad improve against spin – a key weakness ahead of future subcontinental conditions.

Brook arrives in good form for the ODI series after dominating the T20 campaign with an unbeaten 114 from 49 balls in the opener. Jos Buttler was another standout throughout the series, and England’s bowlers kept targeting Sri Lanka’s middle order.

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Sri Lanka need a response

Sri Lanka’s immediate task is to make the contest competitive. Their batting was pretty bad throughout the T20 series, and they were bowled out for 124 in Manchester, and England chased it down with more than 10 overs to spare.

The ODI format should give players like Pathum Nissanka and skipper Charith Asalanka more time to build innings. Experienced all-rounder Dasun Shanaka remains an important source of late order power and leadership.

The series is more about refining a formula than restoring faith for England. Their white-ball side is in good form, Brook is scoring heavily, and the coaching staff are already looking beyond Sri Lanka to the demands of the next World Cup.