Introduction:
England will be looking to avoid a whitewash when they take on Sri Lanka in the fourth and final ODI of the series at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday. The hosts have already won the first three matches of the series and will be looking to seal a clean sweep.
England, on the other hand, will be desperate to avoid a whitewash and will be hoping to put up a better performance than they have in the previous three matches.
England’s batting woes
England’s batting has been their biggest concern in the series so far. They have been bowled out for less than 200 runs in two of the three matches and have struggled to score runs consistently.
The hosts, on the other hand, have been in good form with the bat. They have scored over 300 runs in two of the three matches and have been able to post challenging totals for England to chase.
England’s last line of defence
England’s bowling has been their only saving grace in the series so far. They have been able to restrict Sri Lanka to under 300 runs in two of the three matches and have taken wickets regularly.
However, their bowlers have also been under pressure, especially in the death overs. Sri Lanka have been able to score quickly in the death overs and have taken the game away from England on a few occasions.
England’s bowlers dominate
England’s bowlers were dominant from the start of the Sri Lankan innings, with Stuart Broad and James Anderson taking two wickets each in the first session. The duo reduced Sri Lanka to 36/4 before lunch, and England continued to take wickets at regular intervals in the afternoon session.
Sri Lanka collapse after lunch
Sri Lanka collapsed after lunch, losing their last six wickets for just 61 runs. Jack Leach took three wickets in the afternoon session, while Mark Wood and Matthew Potts picked up one wicket each.
England’s top order collapses
England’s top order collapsed against the Sri Lankan bowlers, with only Jonny Bairstow (51) and Joe Root (45) making significant contributions. The other top-order batsmen fell cheaply, as Sri Lanka kept the England batsmen under pressure.
Woakes and Topley add crucial runs
After England were reduced to 170/9, Chris Woakes and Reece Topley added 49 runs for the last wicket to help England post a total of 219. Woakes batted aggressively, scoring 42 runs in 44 balls, while Topley played a more supporting role.
Conclusion:
England will be looking to dig into their last line of defence and avoid a whitewash in the fourth and final ODI against Sri Lanka. Their bowlers will need to be at their best and will need to restrict Sri Lanka to a low total.
England’s batsmen also need to step up and score runs consistently. They need to build partnerships and put up a challenging total for Sri Lanka to chase.
If England can do both of these things, they will have a good chance of winning the fourth ODI and avoiding a whitewash.