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Following a hammering in the Twenty20 international on Saturday, England must up their game for the upcoming ODI series with Sri Lanka which starts on Tuesday.
Led by Stuart Broad, England were brushed aside by nine wickets at the Rose Bowl after they could only score 136-9 in their 20 overs.
Attention turns to Alistair Cook now though as he takes on the role of ODI skipper for the first time in Tuesday’s match at the Oval.
In fact, there is a double challenge ahead for Cook as he looks to prove himself capable of opening the batting in the 50-over game. He wasn’t selected for the World Cup squad after all and hasn’t played in this form since March last year.
To go from out of the side to captain is quite a big step for the Essex batsman, but after the form he has showed in the test arena, he will be hopeful of making an immediate impact in his new role.
It will be far from easy though. Sri Lanka may not be the force they once were in the five-day game, but in limited overs cricket – as Saturday proved – they are up there with the best in the world.
Looking at England for now though, they certainly have a lot to prove in this form of the game. Their status as one of the best test sides in the world is proven, but ODI cricket has left a lot to be desired over the years.
They will hope that Cook can lead them into a new and successful era, starting with a win on Tuesday. The first of a five-match series, it would be very positive if England can go 1-0 up straight away.
Looking at the team likely to face Sri Lanka, Craig Kieswetter is likely to partner captain Cook opening the batting, while Samit Patel will get another chance to impress upon his return to the side.
Tim Bresnan has been named in the squad too after recovering from injury and he could add some balance to the side with his pace bowling and big hitting down the order.
As for Sri Lanka, all eyes for them will be on veteran Sanith Jayasuria as he makes a one-off return to the side following retirement from international cricket earlier in the year.
The tourists will also be keen to build on the Twenty20 win and respond to the test series defeat with some decent performances in this ODI series.
Overall it should be a very entertaining first match with plenty of things to keep an eye on.
It gets underway at the Oval tomorrow with a 1pm start.
