Sri Lanka look to bounce back against top-ranked England

Overview
Sri Lanka v England
1st ODI
Rangiri International Stadium, Dambulla
Wednesday, 10 October, 02:30 PM local time, 09:00 AM GMT

After a disappointing Asia Cup 2018 campaign where they suffered defeats to Afghanistan and Bangladesh in a first-round exit, Sri Lanka will bank on home comforts to try and reverse their fortunes.

Their recent form hasn't been too good – prior to the Asia Cup, they lost the five-match ODI series to South Africa 2-3 – whereas England have been at the top of their game, living up to their status of being the No.1 team in the MRF Tyres ICC Men's ODI Team Rankings.

In their most recent ODI series, against a formidable India at home, England emerged victorious by a 2-1 margin.

Premier batsmen Joe Root and Eoin Morgan, and leg-spinner Adil Rashid put in good performances then, and they'll be hoping to replicate that form in Sri Lanka, although conditions will be a lot different.

That series wasn't particularly productive for off-spinning all-rounder Moeen Ali, but – along with Rashid – he'll have to play a key role on the dry pitches of Sri Lanka. He showed positive signs, taking 3/42 in 10 overs in the warm-up match against a Sri Lanka XI. Rashid too was good in that game, conceding just 46 runs from 10 overs while also taking a wicket. The spinners will be supported by England's quicks like Tom Curran, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes.

As for the batsmen, the experienced duo of Root and Morgan sparkled, both remaining unbeaten in their nineties. A lot will rely on them in terms of how England counter the spin-threat posed by Sri Lanka. The likes of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler are expected to provide the flourish.

What really stands out for England is the depth in their batting line-up, owing to all-rounders of high pedigree, particularly Ali and seam-bowling all-rounders Stokes and Woakes. Sri Lanka's hopes to contain such a batting-order will rest mainly on the slower men.

The spinners will be key not only because of the conditions, but also because England occasionally showed glimpses of vulnerability against India's spinners. The likes of Akila Dananjaya, Lakshan Sandakan and Amila Aponso might prove highly effective as a result.

Sri Lanka's batting has been a concern, but the return of Dinesh Chandimal, who takes over captaincy from Angelo Mathews, should provide solidity in that department. Mathews has been Sri Lanka's most prolific batsman in recent times but with his omission, it will be interesting to see how the others respond to the challenge.

In the fast-bowling department, Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Pradeep bring a lot of experience. They will want to lead the way for youngsters like Kasun Rajitha and Dushmantha Chameera.

Key players

Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka): This will be a hugely important series for Chandimal, who returns as the team's captain. He missed out on the Asia Cup through injury and had also missed the home series against South Africa because of a disciplinary sanction. So he will want to make a mark with a big score. His average of 32.69 hardly does justice to his ability, and he'll be keen to improve that figure. How he does not only as batsman but also as captain could determine Sri Lanka's fortunes.

Joe Root (England): England's Test captain, and deputy to Morgan in ODIs, has been one of his team's most consistent batsmen. While he always is a key cog in the England line-up, his value in Sri Lanka will probably be higher because of his ability to tackle spin. In the series against India, he scored a total of 216 runs from three innings, looking comfortable against the tweakers even as his teammates had to battle their way through.

Conditions

It has been a rainy few days in Dambulla and the forecast for Wednesday doesn't look too bright either. The skies will be cloudy for most parts and there are likely to be a few showers. As for the playing conditions, the Dambulla wicket tends to offer something for spinners as well as quicks.

Squads

Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (c), Upul Tharanga, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Akila Dananjaya, Dushmantha Chameera, Lasith Malinga, Amila Aponso, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha, Kusal Perera

England: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett (last two games only), Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood