RAWALPINDI:England and Sri Lanka will look to revive their campaigns when they meet in the second match of the One-day International tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, after both sides suffered defeats against hosts Pakistan in their opening games.

England, who recently beat Sri Lanka 2-1 in a three-match ODI series at home, face a familiar opponent but must address their batting frailties after Tuesday’s 87-run defeat by Pakistan. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will rue a late collapse that cost them a chance to chase down a target of 306 in their opener.

England appeared well placed in their pursuit of Pakistan’s 302-9, reaching 165-3 after a promising start by openers Tom Banton and Ben Duckett. However, they lost their remaining seven wickets for just 50 runs to be dismissed for 215, with left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas taking six for 40.

Captain Harry Brook acknowledged that England had failed to build on their start, admitting that the batters had been too cautious against spin.

“We’ve been speaking a lot about rotation of strike against spin and through the middle overs, but we can still be putting the bowlers under pressure and looking to hit boundaries as well,” Brook said after the defeat.

Brook praised Arafat, describing him as the standout performer, but said England could have played him more aggressively. He also backed his side to respond, saying they would not go down without a fight.

England’s bowling, which reduced Pakistan to 81-4, will also need to maintain pressure for longer after the hosts recovered through a strong middle-order partnership and reached a competitive total.

Sri Lanka face their own challenge after squandering a promising position against Pakistan. Chasing 306, they were 253-5 before losing their last five wickets for just 15 runs to fall 37 runs short. Pavan Rathnayake scored 79 and Janith Liyanage made 60, but Pakistan’s pace attack turned the game around in the closing stages.

The visitors will hope to avoid a repeat of that collapse, while England will look to exploit Sri Lanka’s vulnerability against spin. Dunith Wellalage, who played a key role in Sri Lanka’s victory over England at Headingley in September, could return to the side.

England won the recent ODI series between the teams with victories by 89 and 223 runs, while Sri Lanka claimed the second match by five wickets.

With Pakistan having won both opening matches, Thursday’s contest offers the two sides an opportunity to gain ground in the standings. The match will be the last fixture of the series in Rawalpindi before action moves to Lahore.

The top two teams will play the final at the Gaddafi Stadium on Oct 31.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2026