Sri Lanka will be facing a tough task of staying alive in the five-match series when they will face England in the fourth ODI in Kandy on Saturday.
After the first game washed out, the Islanders lost back-to-back games against the visitors. In the second ODI, the Eoin Morgan led-unit registered a comfortable 31-run win, by way of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in Dambulla. In the third ODI, the Three Lions registered another thumping win, this time by a seven-wicket margin.
The home side will be desperate to turn things around in the do-or-die encounter on Saturday, and will be hoping that their batting will finally click after two disappointing showings in the series so far. The pressure will be on out-of-form captain Dinesh Chandimal and opener Upul Tharanga to put much-important runs on the board. In the bowling department, Sri Lanka's management will be optimistic that the team's bowling performance will live up to expectation, as it did in the second ODI.
On the other hand, England will be flying high after two nearly-perfect performances and will be hoping that the same trend will continue as they will look to seal the series on Saturday.
The pitch in Pallekele is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, in the country, and it is expected to stay the same. There are once again chances of rain, which can affect the outcome of the match.
Key players
Tom Curran – 8 Cr
First in the list of key players is
Sri Lanka will be facing a tough task of staying alive in the five-match series when they will face England in the fourth ODI in Kandy on Saturday.
After the first game washed out, the Islanders lost back-to-back games against the visitors. In the second ODI, the Eoin Morgan led-unit registered a comfortable 31-run win, by way of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in Dambulla. In the third ODI, the Three Lions registered another thumping win, this time by a seven-wicket margin.
The home side will be desperate to turn things around in the do-or-die encounter on Saturday, and will be hoping that their batting will finally click after two disappointing showings in the series so far. The pressure will be on out-of-form captain Dinesh Chandimal and opener Upul Tharanga to put much-important runs on the board. In the bowling department, Sri Lanka's management will be optimistic that the team's bowling performance will live up to expectation, as it did in the second ODI.
On the other hand, England will be flying high after two nearly-perfect performances and will be hoping that the same trend will continue as they will look to seal the series on Saturday.
The pitch in Pallekele is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, in the country, and it is expected to stay the same. There are once again chances of rain, which can affect the outcome of the match.
Key players
Tom Curran – 8 Cr
First in the list of key players is England fast-bowler Tom Curran. The right-armer had an outstanding day with the ball during the second ODI, when he not only claimed three wickets for the team, but also finished as the most economical bowler on the day, with an economy-rate of just 4.25. The most impressive part of his performance was the way he delivered the final over of the Sri Lanka innings, when he gave away just four runs and claimed the wicket of home side's captain Dinesh Chandimal. Valued at 8 Cr, Curran has all the ingredients, if he's selected, to be an excellent acquisition as he possesses all the tricks of a quality fast-bowler.
Ben Stokes – 9.5 Cr
Second on the list of key players is England all-rounder Ben Stokes. The 27-year-old had a more-than-decent outing in the previous match, when he not only bowled an exceptionally economical spell but also scored a valuable unbeaten 35 off just 24 balls in the chase of 151. Valued at 9.5 Cr, Stokes might look like an expensive acquisition, but he is the kind of player who can provide the X-factor that can prove to be the difference in the outcome of the match.
Dasun Shanaka – 8.5 Cr
Last in the list of key players is the young Sri Lanka all-rounder, Dasun Shanaka. The 27-year-old looked by far the most in-form batsman during his 10-ball stay on the crease in the previous match for the home side. However, he was not used as a bowling option by captain Chandimal. Valued at 8.5 Cr, Shanaka might prove to be the real trump card as he is more than capable of producing results with the bat and is a decent bowler as well.
