Joe Root helps England draw level

Joe Root starred with both bat and ball as England leveled the ODI series against Sri Lanka. After taking the final two wickets of Sri Lanka's innings, Root scored a crucial 75 in the chase, guiding England to a five-wicket win in the second ODI in Colombo with nearly four overs to spare.

Sri Lanka, confident after their opening win, chose to bat first. England introduced spin early, with Liam Dawson bowling by the seventh over on a dry pitch. Despite Pathum Nissanka hitting a six off Sam Curran, England persisted with spin, bringing in Will Jacks, Adil Rashid, and Jacob Bethell to stifle the scoring. Sri Lanka's run rate was controlled, and they lost Nissanka soon after Kusal Mendis hit a few boundaries. A needless run-out dismissed Mendis, tightening England's grip.

Dhananjaya de Silva and Charith Asalanka then rebuilt with a key partnership, handling spin well. Just as they were set, England struck back, using spin even at the death to take regular wickets. Root sealed the innings with two wickets in the final over.

Chasing 220, England started cautiously. Root hit the first boundary after Rehan Ahmed fell and quickly raced to 18 off 13 balls. Ben Duckett gained confidence, hitting a six off Dhananjaya and boundaries off Dunith Wellalage. England seemed comfortable until Duckett and Bethell fell in quick succession, bringing Sri Lanka back into the game.

Root then anchored the innings with Harry Brook, curbing his aggression on a tricky surface. Root reached fifty off 52 balls, easing past the spin. Though he slowed later, England were well-placed at 178/3 after 40 overs. Asitha Fernando and Jeffrey Vandersay removed the set batters, causing a brief scare, but Jos Buttler finished strongly with an unbeaten 33 off 21 balls to secure the win.

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 219 in 49.3 overs (Charith Asalanka 45; Joe Root 2/13, Jamie Overton 2/21) lost to England 223/5 in 46.2 overs (Joe Root 75, Harry Brook 42; Dhananjaya de Silva 2/37) by 5 wickets.