England kick off a three-match ODI series with Sri Lanka in Durham on Tuesday - Richard Mann previews the action.
Cricket tips: England v Sri Lanka ODI series, June 29-July 4
1pt Joe Root Top Match Batsman in first ODI at 11/2 (Betway)
1pt Joe Root Man of the Match in first ODI at 9/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair)
1pt Dawid Malan Top Match Batsman in first ODI at 17/2 (Betway)
1pt Dawid Malan Man of the Match in first ODI at 12/1 (Sky Bet)
A 3-0 drubbing in the T20 leg of their tour of England doesn’t offer much hope that Sri Lanka will fare any better when these two sides renew hostilities in a three-match ODI series starting in Durham on Tuesday, and unless the weather intervenes, another whitewash could well be on the cards.
News that Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka have been flown home following breaches to the team’s bio-secure bubble on Sunday night has left the tourists’ modest batting resources even more depleted and Eoin Morgan will expect to use the next week to give further opportunities to his fringe white-ball players.
One such player is DAWID MALAN, the number one-ranked T20I batsman in the world who was back to his best with a brilliant 76 at the weekend and will now be hoping to further press his case for a regular spot in the 50-over side following injury to Jos Buttler.
Malan actually played a couple of ODIs in India in the winter and a half-century in Pune from number four reminded everyone of what he has to offer in this format. With Ben Stokes still being held back for the rest of the summer and beyond, Malan appears likely to slot back into the starting XI, alongside Yorkshire teammate JOE ROOT.
Like Malan, Root is another who will see these next three matches as an opportunity to prove a point having again missed the cut for England’s recent T20I squad, and it's worth remembering that England’s Test captain boasts a staggering record in this form of the game: 5,962 runs from 149 matches coming at an exceptional average of 50.10.
While the pandemic and England’s rest and rotation policy meant Root only played six ODIs in 2020, he compiled six centuries from the beginning of 2018 to the end of 2019, with his average in that time 54.58. Make no mistake, in this format Root is one of the very best and he will no doubt be keyed up to do well in the coming days.
Against a poor Sri Lanka side, I want Root on side for Tuesday’s series opener, similarly Malan of whom I have long been a staunch supporter, as much due to his weight of runs whenever he gets an opportunity in international cricket, as his obvious class.
Both make strong appeal in the Top England Batsman market for Tuesday – especially with Jason Roy missing Saturday’s final T20I due to injury and Buttler and Stokes already ruled out of this series – but I really can’t see Sri Lanka coming close to winning and as such, I’d rather take Root and Malan at bigger prices in the Top Match Batsman and Man of the Match markets. Root can be backed at 11/2 (Betway) and 9/1 (Paddy Power and Betfair) respectively, with Malan available at 17/2 (Betway and 12/1 (Sky Bet) in the same markets.
I’m happy to split stakes four ways on the Yorkshire pair for all fellow Headingley hitter, Jonny Bairstow, looms a big danger at the top of the order. While his red-ball stock has fallen sharply in recent times, Bairstow has developed into a limited-overs giant and I’m just hoping his sluggish fifty on Saturday – by his high standards anyway – and the presence of impressive opening bowler Dushmantha Chameera in the away attack means he is worth taking on.
As I’ve already touched upon, Sri Lanka’s shaky batting has been decimated in recent days, but this longer format does at least afford them the chance to operate at a more comfortable speed and while scores of 300 will surely prove beyond them, I’d be hopeful they can at least post something for England to chase if batting first.
Kusal Perera is usually the go-to man for Sri Lanka in limited-overs cricket, but Dhananjaya de Silva is a good player whose sound technique and touch of class should serve his side well in the middle order. Were it not for so much uncertainty over what XI Sri Lanka are likely to field, I’d be keen to chance de Silva in their Top Batsman market at 13/2 (Betway).
I'll leave him alone for now, while the Top Bowler markets make little appeal, with England’s well-rounded attack often sharing out the wickets and Sri Lanka not certain to hand Nuwan Pradeep a starting berth.
I’ll take a watching brief on these markets, and with nothing other than another England victory on the horizon, will stick with Root and Malan to star in another home procession.
Posted at 1330 BST on 28/06/21
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