Sri Lanka vs England, 3rd ODI, England tour of Sri Lanka 2026 - Commentary

England were on the back foot when they lost the first game of the series but they bounced back in style post that and won back-to-back games to win the series 2-1. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, showed promise on numerous occasions but couldn't capitalise on the key moments. The action now shifts to the all-important 3-match T20I series between these two sides before the T20 World Cup - it will be the perfect dress rehearsal before the mega event. We hope you enjoyed our coverage. On that note, we bid you adieu! Until next, goodbye and take care!

Here's the glory moment! Brook has been presented the trophy! He along with his mates have beaming smiles on their faces and they pose for photographs behind the winner's hoarding.

Harry Brook: (On his innings) I’d worked on a few things with Rooty in the nets yesterday, and thankfully it paid off today. I felt good out there, and I’m glad that Rooty, Beth and I were able to push the score to that total. (On going on to win the series after being 1-0 down) I thought it was an outstanding performance from the lads. It really was an awesome effort from everyone involved. Rooty is just exceptional to have in the side; he helps every single day. (On how important was the toss) In the end, probably not as important as we thought. The pitch was better than we were expecting, but it still played its part. Like I said, we were just glad to get a good score on the board and then defend it. (On what positives they will take into the upcoming T20 series) Plenty. I was really happy with the way the spinners bowled, they worked in tandem brilliantly, the communication was outstanding, and it set a great platform for us moving forward.

Charith Asalanka: It was a good game, bit disappointing in the end but the positive is that we found a good player at No. 4, Pavan Rathnayake batted extremely well. In the second game, we were 30-40 runs short but in this game we were undone by some good batting from Joe Root and Harry Brook. It was really tough, I was thinking that the ball might turn in here so we played 3-4 spinners but when the ball is not turning, it's difficult to bowl with spinners in the last ten overs. (On Hasaranga) He is just cramping, he is alright. (On the upcoming 3-match T20I series against England) That is a very important series before the T20 World Cup and we are looking forward to that. We just want to do our basics right and have good momentum before the World Cup.

Joe Root | Player of the Series: (On how he keeps raising the bar) I think more than anything, it’s about winning games and contributing to winning games. My role in this team is pretty clear, and as I’ve got a bit older, it’s also nice to help the younger guys coming through. As you play, your role changes all the time, so it’s about moving with that and doing what you can to help the team. (On his knock) It was obviously great to be out there. The way Beth played, and then Harry coming in and taking the game on like that, was fantastic. It shows his versatility — the contrast between the way he played the other night and today. It also shows what we’re capable of as a 50-over team. It’s a really good step forward for this group after a slightly tough period, especially away from home. There’s a lot to build on for the guys moving forward. (On England's next red-ball series taking place in May) I'm quite looking forward to it, to be honest. I'm having a little bit of time off. I will get to spend some quality time with my family before the Test series. So it's very rare that we get breaks like that in the calendar. You've got to make the most of them and utilise that time well and smart. And if there's things you want to work on and things you want to touch up, then that's your chance to do it. And that's what I'll try and do throughout that period.

Harry Brook has been awarded the Player of the Match for his sensational knock of 136* off just 66 deliveries.

21:53 Local Time, 16:23 GMT, 21:53 IST: England come out on top in the series decider! The visitors won an important toss on a slowish surface and decided to bat. They only managed to score 40 off the first powerplay but post that, they were dominant with the bat. Root showcased a masterclass in building an innings and scored a brilliant century. The real impetus came from Brook in the later half of the innings as he was sensational with his strokeplay. His inside-out shots over extra cover and the ability to clear the boundary at will stood out. His blazing knock of 136* (66) propelled England over 350 and that took a toll on Sri Lanka. In response, the hosts took off briskly but both Mishara and Mendis fell after exciting starts. Nissanka was striking the ball really well and raised a quickfire fifty but he holed out soon after in the deep. Rathnayake was promoted to No. 4 and he kept the scoreboard ticking nicely. The hosts though kept losing wickets at regular intervals from the other end and that pegged them back. Rathnayake batted brilliantly to raise his maiden ODI hundred but there was hardly any support from the lower order. Eventually, the youngster had too much to do and he was knocked over by Curran. Had Rathnayake got more support at the fag end, this game would have witnessed a much closer finish.

Sam Curran to Pavan Rathnayake, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!

Dawson to Vandersay, THATS OUT!! Caught!!