Sri Lanka and England will face each other in the second ODI of the three-match series on Saturday, January 24, at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. With Sri Lanka leading the series 1-0, England will be under pressure to win and keep the series alive.

Sri Lanka began this series on a high with a win by 19 runs in the first ODI. Batting first, they put up a competitive total of 271/6, led by a brilliant unbeaten knock from Kusal Mendis, who scored 93. Janith Liyanage also played a useful role in the middle order. With the ball, Sri Lanka held their nerve in the final overs and restricted England despite a good start from their top order.

England also showed promise in the run-chase with half-centuries by Ben Duckett and Joe Root. However, once both batters were dismissed, England lost wickets quickly and failed to recover. The visitors will now look to improve their middle-order performance and level the series.

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

• Matches Played: 80
• Sri Lanka Won: 38
• England Won: 38
• Tied: 1
• No Result: 3

SL vs ENG: Pitch Report

The Colombo pitch is again expected to favour the spinners. In the first ODI match, the spinners have played a major role, and this might continue in the second game also. Batting becomes tougher as the innings progresses, making partnerships very important. A first-innings score around 230–250 can be competitive at this venue.

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SL vs ENG: Predicted Playing XIs

Sri Lanka (SL):

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

England (ENG):

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