Harry Brook pulverised his way to the fastest double hundred in ODI history and it still was not enough for England. Sri Lanka were the victors in this absurd contest, hauling down a target of 430 in Rawalpindi, the second-highest successful chase in the history of the format. Only that magical 438 game, 20 years ago, trumps it.

Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka and Avishka Fernando were the headliners, somehow turning it around for Sri Lanka after they were reduced to 24 for two. Rathnayake top-scored with 130, Fernando struck 97, and Shanaka – with 97 of his own – was the most brutal of the lot. After being taken apart with the ball, his revenge act included eight sixes. None of the trio were there at the close, as England suddenly found themselves back in it.

With eight needed off the final over, Josh Tongue rattled the stumps of Dunith Wellalage and Eshan Malinga with consecutive deliveries, but the cold-blooded Janith Liyanage walloped a six down the ground to close the night, finishing his stay on 61. Somehow, a ball remained.

And so a sublime piece of work, even by Brook's high standards, came in vain. His footwork was the standout during his 202, tap-dancing across the crease as he ramped, scooped and sliced the ball behind both sides of the wicket with remarkable consistency. It took him 114 balls to reach 200, beating Shubman Gill's 117-ball effort for India against West Indies three weeks ago.

Tom Banton was a decent opening show, punching his way to 50 for the fourth game in a row, but the first major act was the third-wicket stand between Joe Root and Brook. The pair hopped into the DeLorean and went back to January in Colombo, when they put on 191 in a series decider against Sri Lanka, the latter whopping an unbeaten 136 off 66 balls.

Brook began slowly here, 13 from his first 24 deliveries, but took advantage of the part-timers, thumping Kamindu Mendis and Liyanage to reach his half-century off 42 balls.

Milestones follow Root every time he bats nowadays and this time it was the mark of 8,000 ODI runs, the first Englishman to get there, quietly accumulating as Brook began to torment Sri Lanka's frontliners as well. While Root miscued a clip to midwicket on 69, Brook reached his hundred from 75 balls, in the 40th over.

As Will Jacks joined him and quickly bashed a few himself, it became clear that an enormous total was on, as was the double hundred for Brook. He moved from a ton to 150 in 20 balls; he took 17 more to reach 200. Fittingly, the landmark was reached with a cute ramp off Liyanage in the final over, another ball flying past Kusal Mendis behind the stumps. The only thing missing was a red-inker, with Brook perishing off the final ball.

Lost within Brook's show was Jacks's power, his unbeaten 66 taking 30 balls, Dunith Wellalage was the only bowler to escape Brook's wrath, not conceding a boundary to the 27-year-old. His tight figures proved crucial.

England also looked to left-arm spin with a significant selection call that could easily have been forgotten in victory. Adil Rashid, expensive against Pakistan, was left out for Liam Dawson as England opted for the skiddier left-arm option after Arafat Minhas's success on Tuesday.

It seemed Sri Lanka needed Kusal, their captain and a centurion against England last month, to click if they were to have a chance, but he was out before facing a ball. Gus Atkinson got fingertips to a drive down the ground to him run out. Tongue had already bowled Kamindu with a corker.

But Rathnayake and Avishka refused to be part of a collapse. This was still a flat pitch to enjoy and Sri Lanka, hours earlier, had chosen to chase. The third-wicket pair put on 166, with Rathnayake particularly brutal when Tongue went short. Avishka fell just shy of a hundred, returning a catch to Jamie Overton, but Shanaka kept up the rhythm.

At 250 for three, with 16 overs left, Sri Lanka were far better placed than England had been at the same stage, but it still felt so far away. Rathnayake reached his century off 87 balls, timing the ball expertly with his low-hands setup at the crease, and England could not find an over or two of quiet.

Shanaka, who had been punished with the ball, blitzed Sam Curran's moon delivery as he passed 50 and with 109 needed off 60 Sri Lanka finally looked the more likely victors. A tiring Rathnayake could not beat long-on against Curran and Shanaka, too, fell on the boundary against Dawson. But Liyanage remained, there to keep England winless in this tri-series. Just staggering.