SL vs ENG, 3rd ODI: Head-to-head, pitch report & predicted playing XIs

Sri Lanka and England will face each other in the third and final ODI of the series at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, on Tuesday, January 27. With the series level at 1-1, this match will decide the winner.

Sri Lanka started the series well by winning the first ODI by 19 runs. However, they were unable to take the momentum into the second match. England had a strong comeback in the last match, with Joe Root playing a crucial role in helping his team level the series. Now, the team will have to regroup and perform better in this crucial match.

In the second ODI, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 219 runs after choosing to bat first. Dhananjaya de Silva (40) and Charith Asalanka (45) were the top contributors, but the team lost wickets at regular intervals. While chasing, England stayed calm after an early wicket. Joe Root scored 75, while Ben Duckett added 39, helping England win the match in the 47th over with five wickets remaining.

SL vs ENG: Head-to-Head Record (ODIs)

• Matches Played: 81
• Sri Lanka Won: 38
• England Won: 39
• Tied: 1
• No Result: 3

SL vs ENG: Pitch Report

The pitch at the R Premadasa Stadium has helped spinners, especially as the match progresses. It gets very difficult to bat out of the powerplay, and teams need to build partnerships carefully. The average first-innings score is 230, which shows it is not that easy to score freely, making bowlers a big factor in the game.

See Also: What happens if Pakistan boycott 2026 T20 World Cup?

SL vs ENG: Predicted Playing XIs

Sri Lanka (SL):

Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Dhananjaya de Silva, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando

England (ENG):

Joe Root, Rehan Ahmed, Harry Brook (c), Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell,  Jos Buttler (wk), Will Jacks, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid