Unchanged Sri Lanka opt to bat first; Jacks in for England

England tour of Sri Lanka 2026

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Sri Lankan captain Charith Asalanka decided to bat first after winning the toss for the second consecutive time against England in the second ODI on Saturday afternoon in Colombo. 

After securing a 19-run win in the opening game, the hosts retained the same combination as they look to continue their home ODI series dominance. 

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The visitors, desperate to make a comeback and level the series, made one change. Zak Crawley, who had just a five-ball outing in the previous game, is injured. Will Jacks, who missed the first game due to illness, is back in the side, with Rehan Ahmed expected to open the batting.

Playing XI 

Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis (WK), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka (C), Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando 

 

England: Rehan Ahmed, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid