COLOMBO: Contrasting centuries from Joe Root and Harry Brook powered England to a 53-run victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo on Tuesday to secure a 2-1 victory in their One-day International series.

After choosing to bat, England were on the back foot when Ben Duckett (seven) and Rehan Ahmed (24) fell inside the opening 11 overs.

But Root and Jacob Bethell stepped in to steady the innings, compiling a controlled 126-run stand for the third wicket.

Bethell’s assured 65 came to an end when Jeffrey Vandersay struck, but Root found a perfect partner in captain Brook as the pair shifted the innings into a higher gear. Their unbeaten 191-run stand from 113 balls turned England’s total from competitive to imposing.

Brook plundered an ODI career-best 136 off 66 deliveries, smashing 11 fours and nine sixes, as Root made a composed unbeaten 111 off 108 balls to guide England to a commanding 357-3.

Sri Lanka began their chase with intent.

Kamil Mishara contributed 22, and Pathum Nissanka hammered five fours and three sixes in a 24-ball fifty before his dismissal by Jamie Overton checked the momentum.

Captain Charith Asalanka (13) and Janith Liyanage (22) fell cheaply as England applied sustained pressure with disciplined bowling.

The hosts slipped to 202-6 in the 32nd over, and although Pavan Rathnayake (121) kept Sri Lanka afloat with a composed maiden ODI century, wickets continued to fall around him.

Rathnayake’s resistance ended when Sam Curran breached his defence with a full delivery that knocked back his leg stump, and Sri Lanka were bowled out for 304.

Sri Lanka had won the first ODI by 19 runs before England levelled the series with a five-wicket victory.

The sides will now turn their attention to a three-match Twenty20 series starting on Friday.

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND:

R. Ahmed c Vandersay b Hasaranga 24

B. Duckett c Wellalage b de Silva 7

J. Root not out 111

J. Bethell c Liyanage b Vandersay 65

H. Brook not out1 36

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-3, W-7) 14

TOTAL (for three wickets, 50 overs) 357

DID NOT BAT: J. Buttler, W. Jacks, S. Curran,

J. Overton, L. Dawson, A. Rashid

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-19 (Duckett), 2-40 (Ahmed), 3-166 (Bethell)

BOWLING: Fernando 9-0-77-0 (4w), Liyanage 3-1-7-0, de Silva 5-0-45-1, Wellalage 10-0-49-0, Hasaranga10-0-76-1 (1w), Vandersay 10-0-76-1, Asalanka 3-0-20-0 (1w)

SRI LANKA:

P. Nissanka c (sub) b Overton 50

K. Mishara c Ahmed b Jacks 22

K. Mendis c Brook b Overton 20

P. Rathnayake b Curran 121

C. Asalanka c Brook b Rashid 13

J. Liyanage run out 22

D. de Silva c Brook b Jacks 9

D. Wellalage c Jacks b Dawson 22

W. Hasaranga c Duckett b Rashid 9

J. Vandersay c Curran b Dawson 14

A. Fernando not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-1) 2

TOTAL (all out, 46.4 overs) 304

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-48 (Mishara), 2-85 (Mendis), 3-94 (Nissanka), 4-131 (Asalanka), 5-174 (Liyanage), 6-202 (de Silva), 7-252 (Wellalage), 8-264 (Hasaranga), 9-298 (Vandersay)

BOWLING: Overton 4-0-48-2 (1w), Curran 5.4-0-44-1, Dawson 10-0-48-2, Jacks 8-0-43-2, Rashid 10-0-61-2, Bethell 5-0-28-0, Ahmed 4-0-31-0

RESULT: England won by 53 runs.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Harry Brook

SERIES: England won the three-match series 2-1.

PLAYER-OF-THE-SERIES: Joe Root

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2026