England clinched a much-needed ODI series victory in Sri Lanka after a dominant 53-run win in Colombo, powered by sensational centuries from Harry Brook and Joe Root. The victory sealed a 2–1 series win, giving England a massive morale boost after their recent struggles in white-ball cricket.
🔥 Brook & Root Dominate Colombo
The Yorkshire duo stitched together a massive 191-run partnership, taking England to a mammoth 357/3 — the highest ODI total at this ground since October 2018.
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🧠 Joe Root: Unbeaten 111* – calm, classy, and in total control
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💣 Harry Brook: Explosive 136* off just 66 balls
Brook’s innings was pure destruction. He smashed nine sixes, raced from fifty to 136 in just 26 balls, and hammered 22 runs in the penultimate over, leading England to 130 runs in the last 10 overs alone.
💪 Root’s Masterclass in Sri Lanka
Root once again proved his class on tricky Sri Lankan pitches:
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📊 20th ODI century
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🧮 ODI average in Sri Lanka: 76 after 15 matches
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Scores this series: 61, 75, 111*
His calm batting laid the perfect platform for Brook’s late assault, making the partnership unstoppable.
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka’s Brave Fight
Despite the massive target, Sri Lanka showed fight, led by a maiden international century from Pavan Rathnayake 🌟. However, chasing 357 on a ground where 300+ scores are rare proved too big a task.
🚀 Massive Boost for England Cricket
This win is huge for England:
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✅ Only their 2nd ODI series win in last 8
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📈 Improves ODI rankings
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🏆 Strengthens hopes for 2027 World Cup qualification
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😌 Big relief for head coach Brendon McCullum, who has been under pressure after the 4–1 Ashes defeat
🔁 Brook’s Redemption Story
Brook’s performance also marks a strong comeback after controversy earlier in the season. The 26-year-old had admitted he was “lucky to still be captain” following an off-field incident in New Zealand and spoke about needing to regain his teammates’ trust.
His blistering century in Colombo did exactly that.
Statement innings. Statement leadership. Statement comeback. 💯🔥
🏏 Final Word
This wasn’t just a win — it was a statement series victory for England.
Root showed class. Brook showed power. England showed intent.
A perfect mix of experience + aggression = England’s ODI revival 💪🔥
