England vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Preview & Prediction

They could go with Kusal Perera and Gunathilaka as the opening combination with the bat. Since the latter lacks international exposure, the visitors will be backing Perera and Mendis to give them a good start. The middle-order is where the experience lies with the likes of the Chandimal and Mathews, and this is where most of Sri Lanka's runs will be coming from. If Perera, Mendis, Chandimal and Mathews bat well, Sri Lanka should get to 250.

Steven Finn and Chris Woakes are likely to lead England's pace attack. Both were equally impressive in the test series and they will be the ones to watch out for on Tuesday. Allrounder Ben Stokes will look to cut down the flow of runs in the middle overs and Moeen Ali could apply more pressure if the faster bowlers take wickets. If Chandimal and Mathews are dismissed cheaply, Sri Lanka could end up with a total less than 250.

Our Prediction

England outplayed Sri Lanka in the test series and they will be going into the ODI series with the momentum in their favor. Taking a look into the records, England have four wins at Trent Bridge in their last six games and they have beaten Sri Lanka here in both the games that have been played against them. The visiting team, however, will gain confidence from the fact that they were able to draw the last test match. But again, it is going to take a much more improved performance from them if they are to challenge the hosts in the one-dayers.

Although Sri Lanka might look to be a better side when it comes to limited overs cricket, we predict England to go 1-0 up in the ODI series on Tuesday.