Hosts England take on Sri Lanka in the first ODI of the 3-match series at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on Tuesday. It is part of the ICC ODI Super League.

England will contest their first ODI of the summer after a comprehensive 3-0 series victory in the T20 series, which saw them hardly tested against a weak Sri Lankan outfit. While the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone were good with the bat, the bowling attack was equally outstanding in all three T20s. With Joe Root coming into the ODI side, England will be looking to win another series against the visitors. Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer all remain sidelined due to injuries.

Sri Lanka will be desperate to put up a better fight in the ODI series as they were thrashed in the T20 series, with the latest of those games seeing them beaten by 89 runs and bowled out for just 91 runs. Sri Lanka’s ODI form has been poor in recent times, having lost the series against the West Indies and Bangladesh. They will miss out on key players such as Kusal Mendis, Danusha Gunathilaka and Niroshan Dickwella, due to a bio-bubble breach incident.   

With the hosts looking far more settled and stronger, it will be a challenge for Sri Lanka to even come close to beating them in this format. Nonetheless, it will be an exciting start to the ODI series in Chester-le-Street.

Match Details

• Match: England vs. Sri Lanka, 1st ODI
• Venue: Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street
• Date & Time: June 29, 2021, at 3.30 PM IST/11 AM Local

Probable Playing XI

England

Jonny Bairstow (WK), Liam Livingstone, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (C), Liam Livingstone, Sam Billings, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, David Willey, Mark Wood

Sri Lanka

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera (C & WK), Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Praveen Jayawickrama, Binura Fernando

Weather and Pitch Report

Chester-le-Street is expected to have clear weather during the match. The temperature will be around 18 degrees during the game. 

The Riverside Ground has generally been a good batting wicket, with a possibility of a high-scoring game on the cards. Batters are likely to dominate, despite some early help on offer for the bowlers from the surface. The pitch will slow down as the match progresses, bringing the spinners into play in the second innings. The average first-innings score at this venue in the last five ODI matches played here has been 288 runs. 

The team batting second has a good record at this venue, winning 3 out of the last 5 games played. So the captain winning the toss is likely to opt to field first. A score of around 280 runs should be a competitive one here.

Top Fantasy Picks

England

• Jonny Bairstow was back in form after missing out in the first two games of the T20 series. He scored 51 in the third T20 and was brilliant in the last ODI series against India, scoring 219 runs in three innings. Expect him to make a big score in this match. 
• Joe Root has been a key batter for England in the limited-overs format. He has made 5962 runs in his ODI career at an average of 50.1 and has picked up 26 wickets too. Although he has not played an ODI for almost a year, his form in other formats has been great. 
• Adil Rashid is a strike bowler for England, especially in the middle overs. He has taken 158 wickets in 109 matches at an economy of 5.65, with best figures of 5 for 27. He was good in the T20 series, picking up 4 wickets in three matches.

Sri Lanka

• Kusal Perera was in top form in the recent series against Bangladesh. He was the top scorer for Sri Lanka, with 164 runs in three innings at an average of 54. He will look to bounce back after a disappointing T20 series, in which he scored only 54 runs in three innings. 
• Wanindu Hasaranga has been a good player for Sri Lanka in the limited-overs format. In 21 ODIs, he has scored 418 runs, including 2 half centuries, and picked up 21 wickets. He made 98 runs and took 3 wickets in the last ODI series against Bangladesh. 
• Dushmantha Chameera was by far the best bowler for Sri Lanka in the T20I series, having picked up 6 wickets. He was in great form in the last ODI series against Bangladesh, picking up 9 wickets in three matches, with best figures of 5 for 16.

Howzat Dream Team

• Wicketkeepers: J Bairstow, K Perera
• Batsmen: J Roy, J Root, O Fernando
• All-rounders: S Curran, W Hasaranga
• Bowlers: A Rashid, M Wood, I Udana, D Chameera

• Captain: J Bairstow/J Roy
• Vice Captain: M Wood/W Hasaranga

NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can make your fantasy 11 and play fantasy cricket matches. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.

Get fantasy cricket tips on your favorite fantasy sports app and select your own team, Howzat!