OUT: And a perfect yorker on the middle stump ends the match for Afghanistan. Hamid is castled as Sri Lanka have registered a comfortable victory in the end. What a match this has turned out to be. Islanders win by 34 runs.
23:35 (IST)
OUT: Till the time Najibullah is there for Afghanistan, it's not over for them. He strikes two fours in Udana over and the bowler also bowls a no ball. But Najib fails to connect on the free hit. But an error in judgement costs him his wicket. He is run out for 43. Afghanistan are now 145/9.
23:27 (IST)
OUT: This match is moving at snail's pace at the moment. Dawlat and Najibullah are blocking everything that's coming in their way. And Malinga strikes. He yorks Dawlat and wicket has come in the right time for Lanka. Afghanistan are now 136/8.
23:03 (IST)
OUT: Pradeep is on a roll here. The ball comes back into Rashid and he doesn't get his bat down in time. He is bowled for 2. Afghanistan are in deep trouble here at 123/7.
22:56 (IST)
OUT: Pradeep gets one to jag back into Naib and hits the pads. Naib is given LBW. Afghanistan skipper goes for a review, but that doesn't save him. He is out for 23. It's 121/6.
22:43 (IST)
100 FOR AFGHANISTAN: After great toil Afghanistan have reached 100-run mark. They are slowly getting closer to the target. Another six runs come from the Udana over. Afghanistan are 105/5.
22:03 (IST)
FIVE DOWN: This is getting tougher by the ball for Sri Lanka. Perera gets the ball to tail back in sharply into Nabi which crashes into the stumps. Nabi goes for 11 as Afghanistan are now 57/5.
21:59 (IST)
OUT: Excellent bowling by Pradeep and Sri Lanka as they get the fourth wicket. A short one from the bowler, and Hazratullah edges one straight into the hands of the keeper Perera. It's 57/4.
21:41 (IST)
OUT: And third one bites the dust. Zazai pulls Pradeep fine, but Perera takes a wonderful catch at the boundary. Afghanistan are in a spot of bother now. The score is 44/3 now.
21:37 (IST)
OUT: And second one goes down for Afghanistan. Udana bowls one wide and Rahmat Shah plays it straight into the hands of Mathews. He goes for 2. Afghanistan are now 42/2.
21:18 (IST)
OUT: Zazai goes for a big shot off Malinga but he ends up edging it. But three fielders come running to take the catch. In the end Kusal Mendis drops the catch. A sitter that was dropped. On the very next ball Shahzad gives a simple catch to Karunaratne. He goes 7 as it's for 34/1.
21:14 (IST)
FOUR: Zazai carves another four through long on. Lakmal is leaking runs at the moment. Afghanistan are on a roll at the moment. There is no stopping Shahzad and Zazai at the moment. After 4 overs it's 29/0.
21:04 (IST)
SIX: Zazai has smashed Lakmal for a towering six. This will set the tone for the rest of the chase for the Afghanis. A good start by Afghanistan this. Shahzad in the over gets four through point. Another over comes to an end and Afghanistan are 17/0 in 2 overs.
20:44 (IST)
ALL OUT: Rashid has ended Lankan innings in a jiffy after the rain break. A perfect leg-spinner outfoxes Pradeep, and Rashid strikes timber. Lankan innings ends at 201. But now the revised target for Afghanistan will be 187 in 41 overs.
20:40 (IST)
OUT: And Dawlat has struck back with a wicket. He comes up with a slower yorker that surprises the batsman, Malinga. The latter is out for 4. Sri Lanka are 199/9.
23:39 (IST)
OUT: And a perfect yorker on the middle stump ends the match for Afghanistan. Hamid is castled as Sri Lanka have registered a comfortable victory in the end. What a match this has turned out to be. Islanders win by 34 runs.
23:35 (IST)
OUT: Till the time Najibullah is there for Afghanistan, it's not over for them. He strikes two fours in Udana over and the bowler also bowls a no ball. But Najib fails to connect on the free hit. But an error in judgement costs him his wicket. He is run out for 43. Afghanistan are now 145/9.
23:27 (IST)
OUT: This match is moving at snail's pace at the moment. Dawlat and Najibullah are blocking everything that's coming in their way. And Malinga strikes. He yorks Dawlat and wicket has come in the right time for Lanka. Afghanistan are now 136/8.
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 4, 2019
23:12 (IST)
This match can still swing in any team's favour. Afghanistan are not giving up just yet and Sri Lanka too are giving it their best. After 28 overs Afghanistan are now 130/7.
23:03 (IST)
OUT: Pradeep is on a roll here. The ball comes back into Rashid and he doesn't get his bat down in time. He is bowled for 2. Afghanistan are in deep trouble here at 123/7.
22:56 (IST)
OUT: Pradeep gets one to jag back into Naib and hits the pads. Naib is given LBW. Afghanistan skipper goes for a review, but that doesn't save him. He is out for 23. It's 121/6.
22:51 (IST)
Najibullah is taking Afghanistan closer to a win here and Lankan bowlers have no answers to his aggressive shots. He reverse sweeps de Silva for a four to take the score to 114/5 in 24 overs.
22:47 (IST)
How 👌 was this catch from Thisara Perera that dismissed Hazratullah Zazai for 30? https://t.co/LXPOjTAQv3
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 4, 2019
22:43 (IST)
100 FOR AFGHANISTAN: After great toil Afghanistan have reached 100-run mark. They are slowly getting closer to the target. Another six runs come from the Udana over. Afghanistan are 105/5.
22:35 (IST)
Lakmal comes back into the attack. Now the onus is on the senior bowler to break this stand between Najibullah and Gulbadin. These two are looking set at the moment. But still a lot to play for Sri Lanka. It's 96/5 after 20 overs.
22:26 (IST)
Afghanistan are now looking in total control of the proceedings after losing quick wickets. They have been dealing in boundaries and are certainly reducing the target. After 18.4 overs Afghanistan are 92/5.
22:12 (IST)
Najibullah is turning on the heat and dealing in boundaries at the moment. This is just what the doctor had ordered for Afghanistan as he takes Perera to the cleaners. It's 73/5 after 16 overs.
22:08 (IST)
It's really satisfying when you know you've gotten the batter out twice in one ball. #Nabi#AFGvSL
FIVE DOWN: This is getting tougher by the ball for Sri Lanka. Perera gets the ball to tail back in sharply into Nabi which crashes into the stumps. Nabi goes for 11 as Afghanistan are now 57/5.
21:59 (IST)
OUT: Excellent bowling by Pradeep and Sri Lanka as they get the fourth wicket. A short one from the bowler, and Hazratullah edges one straight into the hands of the keeper Perera. It's 57/4.
21:54 (IST)
Udana has been exceptional till now and Sri Lanka haven't used any spinners till now. That's a positive sign to start with for the Lankans. But the target is really small so they cannot be complacent just yet. It's 55/3.
OUT: And third one bites the dust. Zazai pulls Pradeep fine, but Perera takes a wonderful catch at the boundary. Afghanistan are in a spot of bother now. The score is 44/3 now.
21:37 (IST)
OUT: And second one goes down for Afghanistan. Udana bowls one wide and Rahmat Shah plays it straight into the hands of Mathews. He goes for 2. Afghanistan are now 42/2.
21:31 (IST)
Malinga continues. He would be hoping for yet another wicket for his team. Now Afghanistan are in a strong position and they just need to play out well in the middle. After the end of the another over Afghanistan are 41/1.
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 4, 2019
21:18 (IST)
OUT: Zazai goes for a big shot off Malinga but he ends up edging it. But three fielders come running to take the catch. In the end Kusal Mendis drops the catch. A sitter that was dropped. On the very next ball Shahzad gives a simple catch to Karunaratne. He goes 7 as it's for 34/1.
21:14 (IST)
FOUR: Zazai carves another four through long on. Lakmal is leaking runs at the moment. Afghanistan are on a roll at the moment. There is no stopping Shahzad and Zazai at the moment. After 4 overs it's 29/0.
SIX: Zazai has smashed Lakmal for a towering six. This will set the tone for the rest of the chase for the Afghanis. A good start by Afghanistan this. Shahzad in the over gets four through point. Another over comes to an end and Afghanistan are 17/0 in 2 overs.
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 4, 2019
20:55 (IST)
The chase starts now. Mohammad Shehzad and Hazratullah Zazai make their way to the middle. Lasith Malinga will start the bowling for the Lankans. It will be a close battle between these two Asian sides.
20:44 (IST)
ALL OUT: Rashid has ended Lankan innings in a jiffy after the rain break. A perfect leg-spinner outfoxes Pradeep, and Rashid strikes timber. Lankan innings ends at 201. But now the revised target for Afghanistan will be 187 in 41 overs.
20:40 (IST)
OUT: And Dawlat has struck back with a wicket. He comes up with a slower yorker that surprises the batsman, Malinga. The latter is out for 4. Sri Lanka are 199/9.
Follow all the live cricket action and latest updates from the ICC World Cup 2019 encounter between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan (SL vs AFG):OUT: And a perfect yorker on the middle stump ends the match for Afghanistan. Hamid is castled as Sri Lanka have registered a comfortable victory in the end. What a match this has turned out to be. Islanders win by 34 runs.
Preview: Match 7 of the ICC World Cup will pit the two bottom-ranked ODI teams in the world — Sri Lanka (Rank: 9) and Afghanistan (Rank: 10) — with both sides starting off their campaigns with losses against New Zealand and Australia respectively. Tuesday’s encounter at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff will be crucial for both sides as they try to find some momentum for tougher challenges ahead in the ICC World Cup 2019.
Out of the two, Afghanistan were the more impressive although Sri Lanka have won a World Cup back in 1996. The newest Test-playing nation, who only got this status last year, had slipped to 77/5 in their first game against Australia but battled hard to post 207 on the board before succumbing to a seven-wicket defeat.
The Lankans, on the other hand, were rolled over by the Kiwis for 136 at Cardiff and slumped to a 10-wicket defeat. Barring skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, who carried his bat through the innings for an unbeaten fifty, no one showed any fight in the Lankan innings.
On a seaming track, SL’s susceptibility to pace and movement was exposed by Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson. A similar pitch is also expected for Tuesday’s game with rainy and overcast conditions around in Wales.
Lanka will believe that with their slightly superior pace attack led by veteran Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep, they would have a definite edge over the Afghans.
Skipper Gulbadin Naib’s side mostly rely on their spin attack featuring leg-spinner Rashid Khan, off-spinner Mohammed Nabi and mystery spinner Mujeeb-ur-Rahman. If the track is as green as it was against New Zealand, Afghan spinners will find it really tough to turn the ball.
When it comes to batting, Afghanistan possess the superior fire power right from the top with openers Mohammad Shahzad and young Hazratullah Zazai not shy to take on any bowling attack.
Najibullah Zadran has been in fine form in the middle order and the likes of Nabi and Rashid are dangerous coming down the order.
Cardiff is alien conditions for both these sides and team that will be able to modify their game sufficiently will come out on top in this encounter.
Last Five ODIs
Sri Lanka: LLNRWL
After getting drubbed in the ODI series against South Africa, Lanka played a couple of games against Scotland last month — winning one with the other game getting rained out. The started the World Cup with a 10-wicket loss against New Zealand on Saturday.
Afghanistan: NRWLWL
The Afghans also won one out of their two games against Scotland and shared the ODI series against Ireland 1-1. In the first game against Australia, they lost by seven wickets at Bristol.
Players to watch out for
Sri Lanka - Lasith Malinga: The former ODI captain will have a point to prove after a lackluster outing against New Zealand. He might be 35 years of age but Malinga still possesses plenty of skill and experience to be a dangerous customer in English conditions. He will need to lead the pace attack on the helpful Cardiff track.
Afghanistan - Najibullah Zadran: The southpaw packs a punch in the Afghanistan middle-order. The 26-year-old has a strike-rate of over 90 in ODIs and has been in fine form over the last few months. Najibullah scored his maiden ODI ton against Ireland in Dehradun in February this year.
Areas of concern
Sri Lanka: Their top-order is the biggest worry after their dismal showing against New Zealand. Barring skipper Karunaratne and Kusal Perera, no one reached double figures. The Lankan batsmen need to urgently find their groove to turn the side’s form around.
Afghanistan: A lot of their batsmen — Najibullah, Rahmat Shah, Naib and Rashid — got off to good starts but failed to carry on. Najibullah and skipper Naib succumbed to short deliveries and teams might target this weakness in games to come if the Afghans don’t handle the bouncers well.
Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka, ICC World Cup 2019 Match at Cardiff Highlights: As It Happened
CONCLUDED
AFG vs SL Cricket Scorecard (ODI)
Match 7 ODI, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 04 June, 2019
Sri Lanka
201/10
(36.5) RR 5.45
Afghanistan
152/10
(32.4) RR 4.65
Live blog
HIGHLIGHTS
OUT: And a perfect yorker on the middle stump ends the match for Afghanistan. Hamid is castled as Sri Lanka have registered a comfortable victory in the end. What a match this has turned out to be. Islanders win by 34 runs.
OUT: Till the time Najibullah is there for Afghanistan, it's not over for them. He strikes two fours in Udana over and the bowler also bowls a no ball. But Najib fails to connect on the free hit. But an error in judgement costs him his wicket. He is run out for 43. Afghanistan are now 145/9.
OUT: This match is moving at snail's pace at the moment. Dawlat and Najibullah are blocking everything that's coming in their way. And Malinga strikes. He yorks Dawlat and wicket has come in the right time for Lanka. Afghanistan are now 136/8.
OUT: Pradeep is on a roll here. The ball comes back into Rashid and he doesn't get his bat down in time. He is bowled for 2. Afghanistan are in deep trouble here at 123/7.
OUT: Pradeep gets one to jag back into Naib and hits the pads. Naib is given LBW. Afghanistan skipper goes for a review, but that doesn't save him. He is out for 23. It's 121/6.
100 FOR AFGHANISTAN: After great toil Afghanistan have reached 100-run mark. They are slowly getting closer to the target. Another six runs come from the Udana over. Afghanistan are 105/5.
FIVE DOWN: This is getting tougher by the ball for Sri Lanka. Perera gets the ball to tail back in sharply into Nabi which crashes into the stumps. Nabi goes for 11 as Afghanistan are now 57/5.
OUT: Excellent bowling by Pradeep and Sri Lanka as they get the fourth wicket. A short one from the bowler, and Hazratullah edges one straight into the hands of the keeper Perera. It's 57/4.
OUT: And third one bites the dust. Zazai pulls Pradeep fine, but Perera takes a wonderful catch at the boundary. Afghanistan are in a spot of bother now. The score is 44/3 now.
OUT: And second one goes down for Afghanistan. Udana bowls one wide and Rahmat Shah plays it straight into the hands of Mathews. He goes for 2. Afghanistan are now 42/2.
OUT: Zazai goes for a big shot off Malinga but he ends up edging it. But three fielders come running to take the catch. In the end Kusal Mendis drops the catch. A sitter that was dropped. On the very next ball Shahzad gives a simple catch to Karunaratne. He goes 7 as it's for 34/1.
FOUR: Zazai carves another four through long on. Lakmal is leaking runs at the moment. Afghanistan are on a roll at the moment. There is no stopping Shahzad and Zazai at the moment. After 4 overs it's 29/0.
SIX: Zazai has smashed Lakmal for a towering six. This will set the tone for the rest of the chase for the Afghanis. A good start by Afghanistan this. Shahzad in the over gets four through point. Another over comes to an end and Afghanistan are 17/0 in 2 overs.
ALL OUT: Rashid has ended Lankan innings in a jiffy after the rain break. A perfect leg-spinner outfoxes Pradeep, and Rashid strikes timber. Lankan innings ends at 201. But now the revised target for Afghanistan will be 187 in 41 overs.
OUT: And Dawlat has struck back with a wicket. He comes up with a slower yorker that surprises the batsman, Malinga. The latter is out for 4. Sri Lanka are 199/9.
23:39 (IST)
OUT: And a perfect yorker on the middle stump ends the match for Afghanistan. Hamid is castled as Sri Lanka have registered a comfortable victory in the end. What a match this has turned out to be. Islanders win by 34 runs.
23:35 (IST)
OUT: Till the time Najibullah is there for Afghanistan, it's not over for them. He strikes two fours in Udana over and the bowler also bowls a no ball. But Najib fails to connect on the free hit. But an error in judgement costs him his wicket. He is run out for 43. Afghanistan are now 145/9.
23:27 (IST)
OUT: This match is moving at snail's pace at the moment. Dawlat and Najibullah are blocking everything that's coming in their way. And Malinga strikes. He yorks Dawlat and wicket has come in the right time for Lanka. Afghanistan are now 136/8.
23:22 (IST)
23:12 (IST)
This match can still swing in any team's favour. Afghanistan are not giving up just yet and Sri Lanka too are giving it their best. After 28 overs Afghanistan are now 130/7.
23:03 (IST)
OUT: Pradeep is on a roll here. The ball comes back into Rashid and he doesn't get his bat down in time. He is bowled for 2. Afghanistan are in deep trouble here at 123/7.
22:56 (IST)
OUT: Pradeep gets one to jag back into Naib and hits the pads. Naib is given LBW. Afghanistan skipper goes for a review, but that doesn't save him. He is out for 23. It's 121/6.
22:51 (IST)
Najibullah is taking Afghanistan closer to a win here and Lankan bowlers have no answers to his aggressive shots. He reverse sweeps de Silva for a four to take the score to 114/5 in 24 overs.
22:47 (IST)
22:43 (IST)
100 FOR AFGHANISTAN: After great toil Afghanistan have reached 100-run mark. They are slowly getting closer to the target. Another six runs come from the Udana over. Afghanistan are 105/5.
22:35 (IST)
Lakmal comes back into the attack. Now the onus is on the senior bowler to break this stand between Najibullah and Gulbadin. These two are looking set at the moment. But still a lot to play for Sri Lanka. It's 96/5 after 20 overs.
22:26 (IST)
Afghanistan are now looking in total control of the proceedings after losing quick wickets. They have been dealing in boundaries and are certainly reducing the target. After 18.4 overs Afghanistan are 92/5.
22:12 (IST)
Najibullah is turning on the heat and dealing in boundaries at the moment. This is just what the doctor had ordered for Afghanistan as he takes Perera to the cleaners. It's 73/5 after 16 overs.
22:08 (IST)
22:03 (IST)
FIVE DOWN: This is getting tougher by the ball for Sri Lanka. Perera gets the ball to tail back in sharply into Nabi which crashes into the stumps. Nabi goes for 11 as Afghanistan are now 57/5.
21:59 (IST)
OUT: Excellent bowling by Pradeep and Sri Lanka as they get the fourth wicket. A short one from the bowler, and Hazratullah edges one straight into the hands of the keeper Perera. It's 57/4.
21:54 (IST)
Udana has been exceptional till now and Sri Lanka haven't used any spinners till now. That's a positive sign to start with for the Lankans. But the target is really small so they cannot be complacent just yet. It's 55/3.
21:51 (IST)
21:41 (IST)
OUT: And third one bites the dust. Zazai pulls Pradeep fine, but Perera takes a wonderful catch at the boundary. Afghanistan are in a spot of bother now. The score is 44/3 now.
21:37 (IST)
OUT: And second one goes down for Afghanistan. Udana bowls one wide and Rahmat Shah plays it straight into the hands of Mathews. He goes for 2. Afghanistan are now 42/2.
21:31 (IST)
Malinga continues. He would be hoping for yet another wicket for his team. Now Afghanistan are in a strong position and they just need to play out well in the middle. After the end of the another over Afghanistan are 41/1.
21:25 (IST)
21:18 (IST)
OUT: Zazai goes for a big shot off Malinga but he ends up edging it. But three fielders come running to take the catch. In the end Kusal Mendis drops the catch. A sitter that was dropped. On the very next ball Shahzad gives a simple catch to Karunaratne. He goes 7 as it's for 34/1.
21:14 (IST)
FOUR: Zazai carves another four through long on. Lakmal is leaking runs at the moment. Afghanistan are on a roll at the moment. There is no stopping Shahzad and Zazai at the moment. After 4 overs it's 29/0.
21:09 (IST)
21:04 (IST)
SIX: Zazai has smashed Lakmal for a towering six. This will set the tone for the rest of the chase for the Afghanis. A good start by Afghanistan this. Shahzad in the over gets four through point. Another over comes to an end and Afghanistan are 17/0 in 2 overs.
20:57 (IST)
20:55 (IST)
The chase starts now. Mohammad Shehzad and Hazratullah Zazai make their way to the middle. Lasith Malinga will start the bowling for the Lankans. It will be a close battle between these two Asian sides.
20:44 (IST)
ALL OUT: Rashid has ended Lankan innings in a jiffy after the rain break. A perfect leg-spinner outfoxes Pradeep, and Rashid strikes timber. Lankan innings ends at 201. But now the revised target for Afghanistan will be 187 in 41 overs.
20:40 (IST)
OUT: And Dawlat has struck back with a wicket. He comes up with a slower yorker that surprises the batsman, Malinga. The latter is out for 4. Sri Lanka are 199/9.
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Follow all the live cricket action and latest updates from the ICC World Cup 2019 encounter between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan (SL vs AFG):OUT: And a perfect yorker on the middle stump ends the match for Afghanistan. Hamid is castled as Sri Lanka have registered a comfortable victory in the end. What a match this has turned out to be. Islanders win by 34 runs.
Preview: Match 7 of the ICC World Cup will pit the two bottom-ranked ODI teams in the world — Sri Lanka (Rank: 9) and Afghanistan (Rank: 10) — with both sides starting off their campaigns with losses against New Zealand and Australia respectively. Tuesday’s encounter at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff will be crucial for both sides as they try to find some momentum for tougher challenges ahead in the ICC World Cup 2019.
Out of the two, Afghanistan were the more impressive although Sri Lanka have won a World Cup back in 1996. The newest Test-playing nation, who only got this status last year, had slipped to 77/5 in their first game against Australia but battled hard to post 207 on the board before succumbing to a seven-wicket defeat.
The Lankans, on the other hand, were rolled over by the Kiwis for 136 at Cardiff and slumped to a 10-wicket defeat. Barring skipper Dimuth Karunaratne, who carried his bat through the innings for an unbeaten fifty, no one showed any fight in the Lankan innings.
On a seaming track, SL’s susceptibility to pace and movement was exposed by Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson. A similar pitch is also expected for Tuesday’s game with rainy and overcast conditions around in Wales.
Lanka will believe that with their slightly superior pace attack led by veteran Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep, they would have a definite edge over the Afghans.
Skipper Gulbadin Naib’s side mostly rely on their spin attack featuring leg-spinner Rashid Khan, off-spinner Mohammed Nabi and mystery spinner Mujeeb-ur-Rahman. If the track is as green as it was against New Zealand, Afghan spinners will find it really tough to turn the ball.
When it comes to batting, Afghanistan possess the superior fire power right from the top with openers Mohammad Shahzad and young Hazratullah Zazai not shy to take on any bowling attack.
Najibullah Zadran has been in fine form in the middle order and the likes of Nabi and Rashid are dangerous coming down the order.
Cardiff is alien conditions for both these sides and team that will be able to modify their game sufficiently will come out on top in this encounter.
Last Five ODIs
Sri Lanka: LLNRWL
After getting drubbed in the ODI series against South Africa, Lanka played a couple of games against Scotland last month — winning one with the other game getting rained out. The started the World Cup with a 10-wicket loss against New Zealand on Saturday.
Afghanistan: NRWLWL
The Afghans also won one out of their two games against Scotland and shared the ODI series against Ireland 1-1. In the first game against Australia, they lost by seven wickets at Bristol.
Players to watch out for
Sri Lanka - Lasith Malinga: The former ODI captain will have a point to prove after a lackluster outing against New Zealand. He might be 35 years of age but Malinga still possesses plenty of skill and experience to be a dangerous customer in English conditions. He will need to lead the pace attack on the helpful Cardiff track.
Afghanistan - Najibullah Zadran: The southpaw packs a punch in the Afghanistan middle-order. The 26-year-old has a strike-rate of over 90 in ODIs and has been in fine form over the last few months. Najibullah scored his maiden ODI ton against Ireland in Dehradun in February this year.
Areas of concern
Sri Lanka: Their top-order is the biggest worry after their dismal showing against New Zealand. Barring skipper Karunaratne and Kusal Perera, no one reached double figures. The Lankan batsmen need to urgently find their groove to turn the side’s form around.
Afghanistan: A lot of their batsmen — Najibullah, Rahmat Shah, Naib and Rashid — got off to good starts but failed to carry on. Najibullah and skipper Naib succumbed to short deliveries and teams might target this weakness in games to come if the Afghans don’t handle the bouncers well.
Squads
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Avishka Fernando, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Jeevan Mendis, Kusal Mendis (wk), Kusal Perera (wk), Thisara Perera, Nuwan Pradeep, Dhananjaya de Silva, Milinda Siriwardana, Lahiru Thirimanne, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay.
Afghanistan: Gulbadin Naib (capt), Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb ur Rahman.
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