Sri Lanka pulled off the second-highest ODI run-chase, thumping England by two wickets in the ODI tri-series contest at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, October 22.
Delving into the details of the game, England batted first and posted 429/4 in 50 overs. Harry Brook (202) and Joe Root (69) were the top scorers in the first innings. Brook reached his double ton in 114 balls, scoring the fastest double ton in ODIs.
In the chase, Sri Lanka sealed the deal in 49.5 overs with two wickets in hand. Avishka Fernando (97), Pavan Rathnayake (130) and Dasun Shanaka (97) were impressive in the second innings.
Kusal Mendis, Sri Lankan captain:
“Every match we did well I thought, bowled in good areas and did well in the first innings. We chased very well today, I enjoyed it as captain. Me and coach spoke to the batters and said to play the first couple of overs normally. Then we decided for Dasun to come earlier, but everybody showed their character. I’m very happy as a captain. Everyone believed we can do it. Everyday we talk about showing the character in team meetings, and it’s about showing we can get any score.”
Harry Brook, England captain:
“Incredible game of cricket, both teams were exceptional. Sri Lanka just outplayed us. They played exceptional cricket to knock off 400. It was a nice innings but being on the losing side it has no value whatsoever in my eyes. We got to get back to the drawing board a little bit, and we have an opportunity in the next couple of games to nail down a place in the final.”
Pavan Ratnayake, Player of the Match:
“I’m very happy for our team, it’s an important win. We thought it was a good wicket, backed our normal game. It was a good team effort. Every partnership was important.”
