SL vs ENG: Why Rehan Ahmed opened for England in third ODI? Revealed
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Rehan Ahmed opened for England in the third SL vs ENG ODI.
England Cricket Team have made a surprising call with their top order in the ongoing ODI series against the Sri Lankan Cricket Team. The Harry Brook & Co. sent all-rounder Rehan Ahmed as an opener in the campaign.
After Zak Crawley was ruled out second game mid-way, Ahmed was promoted as an opener in the encounter. The young batter got out for 13 runs and could not make a mark in the clash, which England eventually won by five wickets with Joe Root’s (75) incredible half-century.
Although promoting Ahmed as an opener did not work out in the 2nd ODI, England came up with the same plan in the 3rd ODI. The encounter got underway on January 27 at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, where Brook won the toss and opted to bat first. England overlooked experienced batters like Will Jacks to take the opening slot, experimenting with Ahmed.
Why Rehan Ahmed opened the batting for England in 3rd ODI against Sri Lanka?
Notably, there are a few reasons why England have opted for Ahmed as an opener in the SL vs ENG 3rd ODI. To begin with, they wanted to keep a left-right combination at the top. Also, they look forward to attacking the Sri Lankan pace duo of Asitha Fernando and Pramod Madushan at the start.
Ahmed has shown his mettle at the top order in England’s county cricket. He can exploit the hard ball before the pitch slows down. With his ability to strike early, Ahmed is also suited for England’s Bazball approach. Moreover, the visitors want to shield Harry Brook and Joe Root from any early moisture in the pitch.
Meanwhile, the ENG vs SL 3rd ODI is a do-or-die clash for both sides as the winner of the match will win the series. The three-match series is tied 1-1 after two matches. While the Charith Asalanka-led side won the opening game by 19 runs, England made a wonderful comeback to win the second clash by five wickets.
Who is leading the SL vs ENG ODI series?
The three-match series is tied 1-1 after two games.
Who is captaining England in the ODI series against Sri Lanka?
Harry Brook is captaining England in the ODI series against Sri Lanka.
Who opened for England in the third ODI against Sri Lanka?
Ben Duckett and Rehan Ahmed opened for England in the third ODI against Sri Lanka.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.