ICC Champions Trophy 2013: Five reasons England lost to Sri Lanka

1. Kumar Sangakkara‘s century

It is already being termed one of the great one-day knocks of the game. And it will perhaps stand up to the test. Kumar Sangakkara was the only in-form Sri Lankan batsman coming into this game, and the English must have certainly thought of a strategy to deal with him. However, whatever strategies were formulated for the elegant left-hander failed as he cruised along to play a match-winning innings of 134 from 135 balls. His innings was characterized by a steely determination to win the game for his country even as he saw wickets falling at the other end. Sangakkara dominated the English fast bowling, never letting them get on top, and he gladly played the second fiddle when Kulasekara started wielding the long handle. It was an innings that can make all the difference in Sri Lanka’s campaign in this competition.