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Sri Lanka vs England 3rd ODI Predictions - In-form Root to secure series win for England

Simon Lewis
Editor
Last updated: 26 Jan 2026

The ODI series between Sri Lanka and England is tied, with both teams having won one match each. After Sri Lanka's initial triumph, England struck back, leveraging strong performances from Joe Root and Ben Duckett. Root, with scores of 61 and 75, and Duckett, with scores of 42, 62, and 39, continue to form the backbone of England's batting line-up. Despite competitive innings from Sri Lanka's Kusal Mendis and Janith Liyanage, England's momentum remains unmatched. As insights reveal key areas of improvement for the Sri Lankan side, the stage is set for an exhilarating final match.

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Simon Lewis 26 Jan 2026
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  • Joe Root scored 75 off 90 balls against Sri Lanka in the 2nd ODI.
  • Kusal Mendis has scored 30, 93* & 26 in his last three innings.
  • Can England win back-to-back ODIs against Sri Lanka to claim a 2-1 series win?
Joe Root
Joe Root plays square against Sri Lanka (Getty Images).

Sri Lanka vs England Predictions


After breaking their run of defeats by beating England in the 1st ODI, Sri Lanka went down to England by five wickets in the 2nd ODI. The momentum is with England and their top-order is scoring runs, so I’m backing them to out-muscle their hosts.

  • England’s Joe Root has scored 61 & 75 in his last 2 innings.
  • England’s Ben Duckett has scored 42, 62 & 39 in his last 3 innings.
  • Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis scored 93* off 117 balls in the 1st ODI.
  • Sri Lanka’s Janith Liyanage has scored 40, 22*, & 46 in his last 4 innings.

Head-to-Head


England have won two and lost two of their last five ODIs against Sri Lanka. One match was rained-out.

Sri Lanka Form


After taking a 1-0 lead in the series after winning the 1st ODI by 19 runs, Sri Lanka slipped to a five-wicket defeat in the 2nd ODI against England.

Six of Sri Lanka’s top eight reached 20, with Dhananjaya de Silva (40 off 59) and Charith Asalanka (45 off 64) were the only two batters to kick on, but without a big innings to boost their score they were bowled out for 219 in the 50th over.

Dhananjaya de Silva added to his 40 by capturing 2/37 in the 2nd ODI. Jeffrey Vandersay took 2/39 and 2/45 in the first two ODIs. Asitha Fernando took 1/64 in the 1st ODI and 1/31 in the 2nd match.

England Form


England’s four-match losing streak came to an end with a powerful five-wicket win in the 2nd ODI, England knocking off the winning runs with 22 balls to spare.

Adil Rashid followed up his 3/44 in the 1st ODI by capturing 2/34 in the 2nd ODI win. Jamie Overton knocked over two of Sri Lanka’s top six in taking 2/21 in his five overs. Liam Dawson was solid in both ODIs, taking 1/31 and 1/40.

Ben Duckett (39 off 52) and Joe Root (75 off 90) added 68 for the second wicket to break the back of the run chase. Harry Brook (42 off 75) and Jos Buttler (33* off 21) pushed their side to the brink of a solid victory with more than three overs to spare.

Sri Lanka vs England Team News


Charith Asalanka admitted that his side had fallen at least 30 runs short with the bat. “Kusal's run-out, my dismissal and Dhananjaya's... areas to improve. WIth this heat, it's hard to push singles to seconds. We have to concentrate and save energy. Credit goes to their batters, especially Root and Brook. Recent years our ODI side is brilliant at fielding. Want to do basics right for the decider. It's exciting," said Asalanka.

Harry Brook was relieved for his side to level the series. "Nice to get a win away from home on a tough surface. The pitch was probably the worst I've played on, so we had to adapt and get off strike. To bowl them out was awesome work. Root is an awesome player, gets off strike and puts away the bad ball," said Brook.

Sri Lanka (possible XI): Nissanka, Mishara, Mendis, De Silva, Asalanka (c), Liyanage, Wellalage, Hasuranga, Fernando, Madushan, Malinga.

England (possible XI): Crawley, Duckett, Root, Bethell, Brook (c), Buttler, Jacks, Curran, Overton, Dawson, Rashid.

Verdict

I am backing England to win, with Joe Root to top score.
      
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