Joe Root
544 runs in the last 10 ODIs. Career average 50.5, strike rate 88.
The sides
| Measure | England | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 16617th of 20 | 16268th of 20 |
| Home advantage | +130Rating points | –Touring |
| XI caps | 711ODIs between the XI | 547ODIs between the XI |
| Top-seven average | 36.6ODI batting in England | 28.6ODI batting in England |
When England bat
+0.50 an overPowerplayOvers 1–10+0.08MiddleOvers 11–45+0.63DeathOvers 46–50+0.46
When Sri Lanka bat
+0.45 an overPowerplayOvers 1–10+0.23MiddleOvers 11–45+0.58DeathOvers 46–50+0.01
First innings
299England bat first
265Sri Lanka bat first
290Par
273Average here since 2019, 5 innings
338Highest here, Sri Lanka 2019
Root's run makes England clear favourites at the Riverside
Joe Root's last six ODIs read 61, 75, 111 not out, 76 not out, 99 not out and 74 not out. He has 625 runs in his last ten at an average of 104, more than double his career 50.9, and he brings that form to a series against the side England beat 2–1 in Colombo in January. We make England 73% to win the opener.
The Riverside has become a batting ground. Three of the last five completed first innings here passed 300, and par is 290. England have won nine of their 15 ODIs on it. Sri Lanka hold the ground's highest first innings, 338 for 6 against West Indies at the 2019 World Cup, but their last visit, in 2021, ended in 185 all out and a five-wicket defeat. Their batting barely knows these conditions: Pathum Nissanka has 16 runs from three ODI innings in England, Charith Asalanka three from two, and five of their XI have never batted in an ODI here. They have also played one ODI since January. On a dry afternoon in the low twenties, the side with the deeper batting should set the pace, and that is England.
What total is safe?
ODIs in England since 2019
First inningsDefended
Under 25026%6 of 23
250–27957%4 of 7
280–30988%7 of 8
310–33976%13 of 17
340+83%10 of 12
The case for England
- Root has 625 runs in his last ten ODIs at 104.17, and Brook has struck at 118.4 over the same stretch, including 136 not out off 66 balls in Colombo in January.
- Archer has 19 wickets in his last ten ODIs at 24.8 each. Rashid's 234 ODI wickets are more than Hasaranga and Theekshana have between them.
Batting standout
Bowling standout
Jofra Archer
17 wickets in the last 10 ODIs. Career economy 5.14.
The case for Sri Lanka
- Nissanka (486 runs at 48.6) and Kusal Mendis (432 at 48.0) have both averaged close to 50 across their last ten ODIs.
- Hasaranga has 18 wickets in his last ten ODIs at 22.5, the best average of anyone in either XI with ten wickets in that stretch.
- They beat England by 19 runs in the first ODI in Colombo in January, defending 271 for 6.
Batting standout
Pavan Rathnayake
506 runs in the last 10 ODIs. Career average 50.6, strike rate 100.
Bowling standout
Dilshan Madushanka
15 wickets in the last 10 ODIs. Career economy 6.22.