New Delhi. The Sri Lankan team is currently on a tour of England, where after suffering a clean sweep in the three-match T20 series, the Sri Lankan team was expected to make a comeback in ODI cricket, but before that three players were suspended by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board. Kicked out of Bio-Bubble. Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella and Danushka Gunathilaka were among the three players who broke the bio-bubble and were dropped from the team. In such a situation, the challenge was faced to select the playing XI for captain Kusal Perera.
Three players made their debut for Sri Lanka in the first ODI match played at Chester Lee Street on Tuesday, while the team with only two batsmen came on the field, as the rest of the players in the team were not proper batsmen. Barring the two top-order batsmen, the Sri Lankan team had five all-rounders and four bowlers in its playing XI. In this way, the Sri Lankan team was forced to take the field with only two batsmen and the team also had to face defeat. Even the players sitting on the bench were mostly all-rounders or bowlers.
Sri Lanka lost the first ODI by 5 wickets, as the visiting team, batting first, scored 185 runs in 42.3 overs for the loss of all wickets. For Sri Lanka, captain Kusal Perera scored 73 runs in 81 balls, while Vanindu Hasaranga scored 54 runs. Apart from these, none of the batsmen succeeded in contributing. On the other hand, Chris Woakes took 4 and David Willey took 3 wickets for England. At the same time, chasing the target of 186 runs, the hosts did get initial setbacks, but Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali took over the team.
Joe Root scored an unbeaten 79 off 87 balls, while Bairstow made a blistering 43 off 21 balls. 28 runs also came off Moeen Ali’s bat. However, it was also believed that if the Sri Lankan team had got the wicket of Joe Root early, then this match could have been closed, but Sri Lanka had no choice but to take the wicket, as there were not even 200 runs on the scoreboard. This was the reason that after the T20 series, the Sri Lankan team had to start the ODI series with a defeat.
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