PremiumENG vs SL: Just 156? England's batting collapse leaves fans puzzled, say, 'Are they World Champions?'
England struggled, managing only 156 runs in 33.2 overs while losing wickets at regular intervals against Sri Lanka in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023.
Last Updated: 05.19 PM, Oct 26, 2023
In a crucial encounter against Sri Lanka in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, England witnessed a batting disaster at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The Three Lions struggled, managing only 156 runs in 33.2 overs while losing wickets at regular intervals. This total would have been even lower had Sri Lanka opted for a review on the very first ball of the innings.
Jos Buttler, England's captain, won the toss and chose to bat first, but their hopes of posting a competitive total were quickly dashed. Despite a promising start, Sri Lanka fought back, with veteran Angelo Mathews claiming a wicket in the seventh over, marking his first in over three years in ODI cricket.
England lost key wickets early, with Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, and Jos Buttler dismissed before the 16th over. Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali attempted to stabilize the innings, but Ali was caught by Mathews after a 15-run contribution, ending their partnership at 37 runs. Chris Woakes soon departed, thanks to an excellent catch by Sadeera Samarawickrama, leaving England heavily reliant on Stokes to reach a competitive total. However, the England Test captain fell for 43 off 73 balls in the 31st over.
The lower-order batsmen, including Liam Livingstone (1), Moeen Ali (15), Chris Woakes (0), David Willey (14), Adil Rashid (2), and Mark Wood (5), failed to make an impact.
England's dismal batting collapse against Sri Lanka has raised concerns among fans about their World Cup performance. With just one victory to their name and currently occupying the 8th position on the points table, England is under pressure to treat every remaining match as a must-win in the tournament.
England's solitary win came against Bangladesh, and they will be eager to keep their campaign alive, especially with high-stakes matches against India and Australia on the horizon.