The Analyst says it is hard to see how the tourists can compete with anything but a massive score, given their depleted bowling line-up
Slowly being ravaged by injury and fatigue, Sri Lanka may have been relieved the rain fell in Bristol half way through the third ODI, sparing them the ordeal of trying to defend an under par score of 248.
They will arrive at the Oval for Wednesday’s match marginally refreshed. They need all the help they can get because, despite the tie in the first match, the teams are not evenly matched.
England have far more strength in depth both with the bat, where they can field 11 players who have all made a first-class hundred, and pace bowling.
And their main spinner, Adil Rashid, is a superior bowler to his opposite number, Seekkuge Prasanna, who is a game cricketer but does not actually spin the ball.
England made excellent use of the short ball into the ribs in Bristol, protecting the short straight boundaries, and exploiting Sri Lanka’s general apprehension against fast balls rising above the waist.
They may use this tactic again at the Oval where the boundaries are bigger but the bounce is also higher.
Sri Lanka’s best hope of a contest is if England bat first, and over-exert themselves not knowing what a good score is, thereby making under 300.
It is hard to see how they can compete trying to defend anything but an enormous score with their depleted bowling line up.
Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal bear huge responsibility getting them to that enormous score.
They are the only batsmen with the pedigree to score heavily against this persistent, and hostile, England attack, though the under-utilized Upul Tharanga does have 13 ODI hundreds.
Joe Root has yet to play a significant international innings this summer, though he was shaping up well at Bristol when the rains came. The Oval could be his stage.
The equivalent ODI last year produced 760 runs, at 7.96 per over. There were 27 sixes. It is a batsman’s paradise.
Expect another massive score. And most likely another England win.
