That third ODI between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo back on January 27, 2026? What a game! England clinched the series 2-1 with a solid 53-run win, but the real story was the insane number of runs scored – a whopping 661 between the two teams, the most ever in a match between them!

It was all about aggressive batting and some amazing individual performances, but Sri Lanka found out how tough it is to chase a huge score under the lights in Colombo. England played like they didn’t care and Sri Lanka wasn’t bad either, but in the end, England just did a better job when it mattered.

England Stumbles Early, Then Takes Charge

England didn’t exactly start strong. Duckett and Ahmed had a hard time against the Sri Lankan spinners, and suddenly they were at 40 for 2. Sri Lanka thought they had a chance on that kind of pitch.

But then Root came in and just calmed everything down. He just kept the score moving, placing the ball well instead of trying to smash it everywhere. Bethell helped out too, and together they got England back on track, setting things up for a big finish.

Root Shows How It’s Done

Root’s 111 not out off 108 balls? Textbook ODI batting. He wasn’t trying to hit every ball out of the park for sure, but he was smart about it all the way through. He knew what the field was, handled the pressure, and made sure England kept the momentum up high. That was his 20th ODI century, which just proves how good he is.

He also got Player of the Series for scoring 247 runs! It made sense though since his consistency was key for England.

Brook Goes Wild

If Root built the stage, Brook blew it up! He walked in and changed the whole game. His 136 not out off just 66 balls was one of the most amazing ODI innings you’ll ever see in Sri Lanka.

Nine sixes and eleven fours will give you a strike rate of over 200. How crazy is that?! The last ten overs were insane, Sri Lanka had no answer. Spinner and seamer? No problem, Brook hit them all over, especially through extra cover and midwicket.

England racked up 130 runs in the last part of the innings, turning a good score into one that was almost impossible to chase. Brook got his hundred off of only 57 balls. People will be talking about it forever for sure!

Sri Lanka’s Spin Gamble Fails

Sri Lanka went with a lot of spinners thinking they could slow England down in the middle overs. Wellalage bowled well, but it didn’t matter much, because they didn’t get the wickets they needed. Hasaranga and Vandersay ended up giving away a ton of runs, especially near the end, and Fernando couldn’t get his control right.

Once England got to the last ten overs with just a few wickets down, Sri Lanka’s plan fell apart. They just couldn’t get those important wickets that they so desperately needed..

Sri Lanka Starts Strong

Needing 358 to win, Sri Lanka needed a great start, and Nissanka gave them just that. His 50 off 25 balls got the crowd roaring and put England on the back foot for a bit. Mishara and Mendis added a few quick runs, and suddenly they were ahead of the run rate.

They actually believed that they could do it.

Rathnayake Fights Hard, Alone

When wickets started to fall, Rathnayake stepped up. Playing at No. 4 for the first time in an ODI, he showed a lot of maturity. His 121 off 115 balls was an awesome first international hundred, with great footwork, and smart batting.

Rathnayake tried his best to take it to the end, building partnerships where he could, but they kept falling too far behind. He just didn’t get enough help from the other guys.

England Keeps Cool

England’s bowling was more about staying in control than anything else. Dawson and Jacks were great in the middle overs, picking up a couple of wickets each and keeping the scoring down. Rashid kept the pressure on, and Curran finished it off by getting Rathnayake out.

Overton got hit for a few runs, but he got those early wickets that stopped Sri Lanka from getting any momentum.

What It All Means/Achievements

That win gave England their first ODI series win away from home in a long time (since March 2023!). Brook earned Player of the Match for obvious reasons, since he had a big impact on the whole game, like those catches he got.

The total of 661 runs was a record between Sri Lanka and England so who could predict that?

Some Drama?!

Brook said after the match that the pitch was the worst he’d ever played on, and the Sri Lankan captain, Asalanka, didn’t like that too much. Brook tried to explain himself later, but it still got people talking about the pitches and what people think of them.

Some people also wondered if Sri Lanka used too many spinners and if they needed someone who’s better at bowling near the end of the innings.

What I Think

I think this game showed the difference between going all-out and playing it safe. England weren’t scared to take risks and Sri Lanka didn’t really fight back.

Sri Lanka’s bowling choices hurt them. They didn’t seem to have a good strategy for the end of the innings, and England took way better advantage of that. Brook got too comfortable.

Predictions

England will be feeling pretty confident going into their next ODIs. Harry Brook could be a star in the middle order, and Root is still the main man.

For Sri Lanka, Nissanka and Rathnayake are the ones to watch. If the team can find some more guys to play around them and improve their bowling at the end, they’ll start winning.

England looks ready for their next tours, and Sri Lanka needs to get it together quickly and fix those simple mistakes.

Last Words

That 3rd ODI in Colombo was crazy. England were strong and planned well, and Sri Lanka put in the heart and effort. In the end, England won because they played better in the clutch!

Harry Brook’s innings will be remembered for a while, and Sri Lanka hopefully learns the message that they can win if they are more strategic!