Sri Lanka team news: Hasaranga-sized hole, tactical confusion
Sri Lanka’s XI makes very little sense unless Wanindu Hasaranga is carrying an injury. If this is purely tactical, then it’s a baffling call. Leaving out your premier match-winner on a slow Colombo surface is football-manager logic, not international cricket thinking.
Pavan Rathnayake at No.7 feels especially forced. On pitches where control and flexibility matter, Kamindu Mendis is the obvious upgrade. He gives you batting depth and bowling options—something Sri Lanka desperately need once the surface starts gripping after the first 25 overs.
Maheesh Theekshana remains the wildcard. He strengthens the spin choke but weakens the batting, which has already looked one partnership away from collapse all series. Sri Lanka have to decide what they want to be: a team defending totals or one hoping England self-destruct.
Dropping a seamer like Pramod Madushan wouldn’t be shocking either. Janith Liyanage can cover a few overs, and Colombo simply isn’t rewarding pace enough to justify four frontline quicks.
Possible Sri Lanka XI
Nissanka, Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Asalanka, Dhananjaya, Liyanage, Kamindu/Hasaranga, Wellalage, Vandersay, Asitha, Madushan
England team news: Accidentally smarter without Crawley
Zak Crawley’s injury may have done England a favour. Will Jacks came in and immediately justified his inclusion by bowling a full spell on a spin-friendly track. That’s adaptability—something England don’t always show overseas.
The Rehan Ahmed opening experiment raised eyebrows, but on these surfaces it actually makes sense. England aren’t asking him to bat long—they’re asking him to swing hard and disrupt fields. A messy 20 off 15 could be more valuable than a cautious 35 that feeds the spinners later.
With Buttler and Jacks floating in the middle order, England suddenly have batting that can counter spin rather than merely survive it. Expect them to persist with this template.
England possible XI
Rehan Ahmed, Duckett, Root, Brook, Bethell, Buttler, Jacks, Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Dawson, Adil Rashid
Pitch report: Spin wins, pace survives
Harry Brook’s public frustration about the RPS pitch was unnecessary—and revealing. England weren’t 2-0 down, and they chased 220 superbly. Complaining about surfaces in Asia is often code for “we don’t like being tested.”
Colombo will behave exactly as it has all series:
Best for batting in the first 20–25 overs
Progressive grip and turn
Shot-making becomes a gamble, not a skill test
It was surprising that England bowled nearly 19 overs of pace in game two. Expect that number to drop. Once spin settles in, run rates nosedive and collapses follow.
From an in-play betting perspective, this is gold:
After 25 overs, unders on runs become extremely attractive
Totals between 100–125 from that point are very defendable
This pitch doesn’t reward patience—it punishes it.
Match prediction: The market has overreacted
The odds are flat-out wrong.
Sri Lanka at 2.40 and England at 1.71 suggests a gulf that simply doesn’t exist. England’s chase in game two has caused an overcorrection. Give Sri Lanka another 20–30 runs, and England are suddenly under real pressure.
History at this venue matters:
248, 244, 281, and even 214 have all been defended here
Sri Lanka losing with 248 last time looks more like an outlier than a trend.
If Sri Lanka bat first and cross 240, they become a live bet—regardless of what the market says. If they cross 250, England will need another near-perfect chase.
Recommended Bet
Back Sri Lanka if batting first
Odds: 2.40 (Exchange)
Player bet: Pathum Nissanka is due
Pathum Nissanka hasn’t cashed yet this series, but everything points toward a breakout. He’s had starts (26, 21), he bats when the surface is at its best, and he knows the spinners are waiting if he doesn’t cash in early.
This is the game where he forces the tempo in the powerplay rather than letting it drift.