Welcome to our live coverage of the first ODI between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo! It's a fresh start for England after a challenging Ashes campaign, and they're looking to reset and rediscover their rhythm and pride ahead of the T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, is coming off a strong run of form, having won seven of their last 10 ODIs at the R Premadasa Stadium, including victories over Zimbabwe, India, Australia, and Bangladesh. England, however, has struggled at this venue, losing their last seven ODIs, with their last win dating back to 2007. The toss has been won by Sri Lanka, and they've elected to bat first. The Sri Lankan team includes Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Pavan Rathnayake, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan, Jeffrey Vandersay, and Asitha Fernando. England's lineup features Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Rehan Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, and Adil Rashid. England captain Harry Brook acknowledges the challenge of playing against a strong Sri Lankan side in conditions that favor them. He also mentions that Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett will open the batting, with Will Jacks out due to illness, and Rehan Ahmed taking his place. Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka expresses confidence in their pitch and aims to put a strong score on the board, emphasizing the importance of executing their basics correctly. The match is set to begin at the R Premadasa Stadium, with a steady build-up of crowd support and a hot day in Colombo expected to create an electric atmosphere.
