ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Sri Lanka face Afghanistan as both sides search first points

SOUTHAMPTON: Afghanistan and Sri Lanka will be licking their wounds after their initial setbacks and look to register their first win of World Cup 2019 when they lock horns at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Tuesday. 

Sri Lanka opened their World Cup 2019 campaign with a 10-wicket drubbing at the hands of last edition’s runners-up New Zealand, while minnows Afghanistan suffered a seven-wicket thrashing against defending champions Australia. 

The only positive for Afghanistan will be their side managing to score over 200 runs while the Sri Lankan batsmen are yet to make their bats do the talking.

So Tuesday’s encounter presents Sri Lanka a perfect chance to register their first points in England, and they’ll be banking on senior players to stand up and lead from the front. 

Sri Lanka’s batting unit has now failed to last the full 50 overs on two separate occasions, including once in the warm-ups, and will have to pull itself up against a well-rounded Afghanistan attack.

Likewise, Karunaratne will expect his fast bowlers to exploit the opposition’s weakness against the moving white ball early in the innings.

Afghanistan were shored up by lower order contributions against Australia, which was a great positive, but skipper Gulbadin Naib would hope someone from the top order can hold the innings together.

Come Tuesday, both the Asian teams would want to resurrect.

PITCH AND CONDITIONS
A seaming track is likely to await the teams in Cardiff. Lanka played their last game on this surface. It was evident that the ball was moving, with Kiwi pacer Trent Boult terrorizing the Lankan batsmen with his deadly seam. It is highly possible that both the teams would go in with a slightly bowling-dominated playing XI.