England's Cricket World Cup defence is in tatters after suffering a devastating eight-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in Bangalore, leaving their semi-final hopes dangling by the slimmest of threads.
Catastrophic Batting Collapse
Jos Buttler's men appeared to be building a competitive total at 133-3, but what followed was nothing short of calamitous. The reigning champions lost their final seven wickets for a mere 43 runs, collapsing to a paltry 156 all out in just 33.2 overs.
The damage was inflicted primarily by Sri Lanka's spin duo, with 35-year-old all-rounder Angelo Mathews claiming 2-14 in five overs, while left-arm spinner Kasun Rajitha proved equally destructive with 2-36.
Buttler's Honest Assessment
"At the halfway stage, having got to 150 with a lot of batting to come, you'd expect to win that game," admitted a visibly frustrated England captain Jos Buttler. "But we're falling a long way short of our best, and it's incredibly disappointing.
"You're left asking a lot of questions, and it's hard to explain why we're performing so poorly. We're aware of the situation - we need to win every game from here, and we've got to show a lot of character and resilience."
Sri Lanka's Comfortable Chase
In response, Sri Lanka made light work of the modest target, reaching 160-2 with nearly 25 overs to spare. Pathum Nissanka led the charge with an unbeaten 77, supported by veteran opener Dimuth Karunaratne who contributed 34.
The comprehensive nature of the victory highlighted the gulf between the two teams on the day, with England's bowlers unable to create the pressure needed to defend such a low total.
World Cup Campaign in Crisis
This defeat marks England's fourth loss in five matches, leaving them ninth in the ten-team table with a rapidly diminishing chance of reaching the knockout stages. The defending champions now face the mathematical possibility of elimination as early as next week unless they can engineer a dramatic turnaround in form.
The performance raises serious questions about England's preparation and approach to the tournament, with many pundits and fans alike wondering how a team packed with world-class talent has failed so spectacularly to defend their crown.
