England return to 50-over cricket with the scent of dominance still hanging in the air.
They have just torn through Sri Lanka in a 3-0 T20 sweep, winning the opener by 119 runs and then hunting down targets in 12.1 and 9.4 overs. That is not a contest; that is a statement. Now they walk into the first ODI at the Riverside Ground in Durham with form, familiarity and a captain in rare touch.
Brook back where it all began
Harry Brook comes back to the ground where he first announced himself in this format, the venue of his maiden ODI hundred nearly two years ago. A lot has changed since then. The bat still swings with the same freedom, but the weight on his shoulders is heavier now, and he seems to like it.
The captaincy has sharpened his game rather than burdened it. As skipper, Brook averages 51.82 in ODIs, more than double his return when he plays without the armband. Against Sri Lanka, he has been even more ruthless: an average of 92, fuelled by that unbeaten 136 in Colombo in January. These are not streaky numbers. They tell the story of a player who relishes responsibility and recognises a vulnerable attack when he sees one.
With Joe Root alongside him, England’s middle order carries a familiar authority. Root’s presence offers ballast and calm, the sort of reliability that allows Brook and the hitters around him to take the game on without fear of collapse.
England strong, but not flawless
For all the swagger of the T20 whitewash, this is not a flawless England ODI machine. They have lost five of their last nine matches in the format. The scars from a turbulent run linger, even if they have been partially covered by what they did to Sri Lanka earlier this year, winning the ODI series 2-1 away before adding that T20 mauling.
Yet at home, on a ground where they understand the angles and the breeze, they start as clear favourites. The top order of Tom Banton and Ben Duckett brings aggression, Root and Brook bring class, and Jos Buttler and Will Jacks can rip a game away in half an hour. Rehan Ahmed offers a live spin option, while the pace unit of Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue gives England speed, bounce and variety.
If the pitch in Durham offers even a hint of assistance, this attack can make a long day even longer for a Sri Lankan side still searching for answers.
Sri Lanka searching for a foothold
Sri Lanka arrive not so much bruised as battered. They have “barely landed a punch all tour”, a brutal but accurate assessment of a side that has been outgunned with bat and ball. The confidence that flickered earlier in the year has dimmed on English soil.
Kusal Mendis returns from a hamstring injury and takes the captaincy again, and if there is a bright spot in their year, it is his form. He has scored 211 runs in four ODI innings in 2024 at an average of 70.33, the kind of output you can build a batting unit around if the support cast holds its nerve.
Around him, Sri Lanka will look to Pathum Nissanka’s calm at the top, Kamindu Mendis’ adaptability, and the strokeplay of Charith Asalanka and Janith Liyanage. Dasun Shanaka adds muscle in the middle order, while Wanindu Hasaranga remains their trump card – a genuine match-winner with ball in hand and a dangerous hitter if given a platform.
The problem is not the names. It is the execution. Their bowling has been punished all tour, lines dragged apart, lengths exposed. Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka will have to find discipline quickly on a ground that can be unforgiving when the ball goes even slightly awry.
Likely XIs and the battle ahead
England are expected to line up with:
- Tom Banton
- Ben Duckett
- Joe Root
- Harry Brook (c)
- Jos Buttler
- Will Jacks
- Rehan Ahmed
- Jamie Overton
- Gus Atkinson
- Jofra Archer
- Josh Tongue
Sri Lanka are likely to respond with:
- Pathum Nissanka
- Kamindu Mendis
- Kusal Mendis (c)
- Pavan Rathnayake
- Charith Asalanka
- Janith Liyanage
- Dasun Shanaka
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Dushmantha Chameera
- Asitha Fernando
- Dilshan Madushanka
On paper, England hold the edge in almost every department. Home conditions. Depth with the bat. Firepower with the ball. Brook in the form of his life. Root anchoring. Archer back in the frame.
Sri Lanka cling to Mendis’ runs and Hasaranga’s craft, hoping that one big innings or one inspired spell can tilt the day. They need early wickets, they need control at the death, and they need their batting to stretch beyond one or two cameos.
Prediction: advantage England
Strip away the noise and the equation is simple. England, at home, with a recent 2-1 ODI win in Sri Lanka and a 3-0 T20 thrashing still fresh, should take the series opener. Brook’s record against these opponents – averaging 92 – and the support of Root and Buttler tilt the contest heavily in their favour.
Sri Lanka’s bowlers have been under siege all tour. Unless they find a level of accuracy and resilience they have not yet shown in England, they are likely to spend another afternoon chasing leather.
All the numbers, all the form lines, point one way: this is England’s game to lose. The real question is whether Sri Lanka can turn a one-sided tour into a contest, or whether Durham simply becomes the next stop on a long, unforgiving road.
