ICC T20 World Cup 2021: 3 positives England can draw from their resilient win over Sri Lanka

After dominating Australia on Saturday (October 30), England secured a fighting win against Sri Lanka by 26 runs on Monday (November 1) in Sharjah. With the win, England maintained their unbeaten run so far at this year’s ICC T20 World Cup.

The Three Lions recorded comprehensive and dominant wins in their first three Super 12 fixtures. However, they were challenged and had to fight hard against the Islanders to get over the line in Sharjah.

This win alongside their superior net run-rate (NRR) has helped Eoin Morgan's side virtually seal the top stop in Group 1. England are flying high after their resilient win. Their gritty performance against Sri Lanka attests to the fact that they are one of the firm favorites to win this year’s event.

On that note, let’s take a closer at three takeaways England can draw from their clutch performance against Sri Lanka.

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#1 Ability to bat first and put winning total on the board

Jos Buttler was instrumental in England's win over Sri Lanka.

Batting first has been a major struggle for all the teams across all the venues so far at this year’s competition. The teams batting first have been bamboozled within the powerplay, thereby failing to put up a decent total on the board.

However, batting second has been far too easy and captains have resorted to opting to field first after winning the toss. England themselves have been lucky to win all the tosses in their first three Super 12 fixtures.

However, on Monday in Sharjah, England broke the jinx of losing the toss and losing the match. Morgan lost the coin flip and his side were asked to bat first by Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanka.

Before the powerplay ended, England found themselves in a wobble, losing three wickets with barely 35 runs on the board. By the end of 10th over, it felt like England had lost the plot. The innings seemed to be progressing in a similar pattern to that of the majority of first innings so far at this year’s event.

However, it was just the calm before the storm as England’s vice-captain Jos Buttler launched an onslaught. In the company of captain Morgan, Buttler scored a magnificent ton, propelling England to 163/4. His relentless ball-striking put Sri Lankan bowlers under tremendous pressure. Buttler scored an unbeaten 101 off just 67 deliveries, single-handedly pulling his team out of trouble.

Though it is challenging to bat first in these conditions. England’s tremendous batting display against Sri Lanka proved it isn't entirely impossible. Buttler and Morgan didn’t panic when runs were hard to come by but bided their time to get accustomed to the nature of the surface.

England's team will be pleased and satisfied after they were able to win despite being under serious trouble midway through their first innings batting. Buttler’s performance against Sri Lanka could act as a source of inspiration for the England team who are chasing their second T20 World Cup title at this year’s tournament.

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#2 England captain Eoin Morgan getting back into the runs

Eoin's Morgan return to form is the biggest positive England can draw from their win.

England captain Eoin Morgan was in abysmal form heading into this year’s T20 World Cup. In the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in UAE that preceded the T20 World Cup, Morgan appeared clueless with the bat.

With England’s top-order in fine form, he didn’t get much of a chance to bat either in England’s first three Super 12 matches. Heading into the clash against Sri Lanka, Morgan’s form was still an area of concern for their team management though England seemed to be a settled side.

However, the English skipper silenced his critics by recording a precious knock of 40 runs from 36 balls on Monday under tricky circumstances. England were tottering at 35/3 when Morgan walked out to bat in the sixth over of their innings.

His calmness was exactly what England needed after the fall of three wickets, providing an ideal foil for an in-form Buttler. While Buttler was the aggressor at the other end, Morgan beautifully played the role of being a second fiddle. In the process, the England captain has got to spend some decent time in the middle.

Morgan’s return to form and scoring decent runs is one of the biggest positives England can draw from their resilient win over Sri Lanka.

The detailed T20 World Cup fixtures are available here.

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#3 Earning a hard-fought victory

Morgan called it right at the toss in England’s first three Super 12 fixtures and their side cruised to comprehensive victories, barely being challenged.

However, the story of the Three Lions’ match against Sri Lanka was significantly different from that of their clashes against West Indies, Bangladesh and Australia. Not only did they find themselves in a wobble batting first, only to be rescued by Buttler’s brilliance but also were challenged while defending their total.

Wanindu Hasaranga joined his captain Dasun Shanaka in the middle after the fall of Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s wicket with Sri Lanka tottering at 76/5 in the 11th over. Hasaranga already had an impressive outing with the ball and made his intentions clear as soon as he arrived to bat.

The leggie and Shanaka stitched together a quickfire 53-run partnership just off six overs, threatening to take the game away from England. While Hasaranga was at the crease, England's bowlers were under pressure and the right-hander seemed determined to take Sri Lanka home. Morgan's side also lost Tymal Mills to a quadriceps injury midway through the innings.

However, the English skipper’s shrewd leadership skills and the side’s outstanding fielding saw them prevail over Sri Lanka in an intriguing contest. The challenges that England encountered against the Lankans will only make them a stronger side as they stand on the cusp of entering the semifinal-round.

England will play South Africa in their final Super 12 fixture on Saturday (November 6). After overcoming Sri Lanka in a tricky encounter, the English will feel confident about their preparation and the balance in their side. They are hoping to hold two world titles at the same time come the end of this year's tournament after winning the 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2019.