England slight favourites to prevail in Sri Lanka ODIs
England's attention switches back to the one-day format as they name their squad for the ODI leg of their tour of Sri Lanka
ESPNcricinfo staff
17-Sep-2018
Joe Root's 'bat drop' celebration provoked a ribbing from his team-mates • Getty Images
After an emotional six weeks of Test action against India, England's attention switches back to the one-day format this week, as they name their squad for the ODI leg of their tour of Sri Lanka in October.
And for all that winning in Asian conditions is a formidable challenge at the best of times, there's an expectation among the odds-setters at Bet365 that Eoin Morgan's men will have the measure of their hosts in the course of their five-match series.
England are 4/7 to win the series by any margin, compared to Sri Lanka's 11/8. And when it comes to the correct series score, the differences are even more stark.
The prospects of England winning the series 5-0 are a not-outlandish 8/1, compared to Sri Lanka at 25/1 for the same scoreline. But the likelihood is of a tightly fought scrap in tough spinning conditions, with Sri Lanka 13/8 compared to England's 11/8 for a 3-2 series win.
The odds of England winning the series opener, at Dambulla on October 10, are also very slightly in their favour. They are rated at 4/6 for that contest, compared to 6/5 for Sri Lanka.