Sri Lanka will meet England in their tri-series ODI fixture today at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with the match scheduled to begin at 1.30 pm Sri Lanka time. Both teams lost their opening matches against Pakistan and will be looking to record their first win of the series.

Led by Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka will face England again after losing their recent ODI series 1-2 in England. The two sides will meet under different conditions at the neutral venue in Rawalpindi.Sri Lanka made a disappointing start to their campaign against Pakistan, falling 37 runs short of their target of 306 and being bowled out for 268. The top order struggled to build momentum during the powerplay, putting the team under pressure early in the innings.Pavan Rathnayake and Janith Liyanage fought back with a fifth-wicket stand of 119 runs, but their efforts were not enough to take Sri Lanka close to victory. The last five wickets fell for just 15 runs as Pakistan’s bowlers regained control of the match.

Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis admitted that the team needed to be more positive during the powerplay. He also said the bowlers had performed well in the final 10 overs, while the batting side needed to learn from their mistakes, particularly towards the end of the innings.Kamindu Mendis made a promising start in the previous match, but Avishka Fernando had a difficult outing after returning as an opener.Sri Lanka are considering changes for today’s game, although the final playing XI had not been confirmed yesterday.

Lahiru Udara, who joined the squad in place of the injured Pathum Nissanka, also struggled during the recent England series. Sri Lanka will need more consistent contributions from their top order to challenge England.Experienced all-rounder Dasun Shanaka was included at number seven in the opening match, but he could not make the expected impact with the bat. Dunith Wellalage, who was left out of the playing XI, could get a chance today. Sahan Arachchige, who replaced the experienced Charith Asalanka, could not get among the runs. Sri Lanka will need their middle order to deliver more consistent performances if they are to bounce back.

Eshan Malinga was among the positives for Sri Lanka, taking four wickets for 46 runs, while Dilshan Madushanka claimed three wickets. Both bowlers will be expected to maintain their form against England.Meanwhile, England, led by Harry Brook, will also be looking to recover from their opening defeat against Pakistan. England lost by 87 runs after Pakistan posted 302 for nine wickets in their 50 overs.

Pakistan were struggling at 133 for five before Arafat Minhas and Hasan Nawaz revived the innings with valuable contributions. Minhas scored 59 while Nawaz made 79, helping Pakistan set a challenging target.England’s top order made a reasonable start, with Tom Banton scoring 57, Ben Duckett making 45 and Joe Root contributing 33. However, leg-spinner Minhas turned the match in Pakistan’s favour, taking six wickets for 60 runs in 8.4 overs as England were bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs. Minhas was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance.England will also have all-rounder Sam Curran and experienced leg-spinner Adil Rashid, back in the side after both missed the recent ODI series against Sri Lanka due to injuries.

Both teams will be eager to adjust to the conditions in Rawalpindi and put their opening defeats behind them.