Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka: Preview, pitch report and TV listing
What's the story
The ICC World Cup 2019 will witness an interesting clash as Afghanistan take on Sri Lanka in the seventh match at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Tuesday. Both the teams lost their first encounter, as they would look to get one in their pocket and get their campaign on the right track. Here we present the match preview for this tie.
Previous performance
Sri Lanka humiliated by Kiwis, Afghans put up a fight
In their respective opening matches, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka suffered losses to Australia and New Zealand. Afghanistan put up a decent fight but they lost by seven wickets, as they were robbed of two crucial points. As for Sri Lanka, they were by humiliated by New Zealand, losing the match by 10 wickets. Notably, the batsmen failed Lanka once again.
Team news
Najibullah Zadran and Dimuth Karunaratne in focus
Players of both these teams would be under considerable pressure, following their failure to fire in the opening game. Further, Afghanistan's Najibullah Zadran would look to replicate his performance. He had hit a fine innings of 51 against Australia. Meanwhile, Rashid Khan too would draw attention. For Lanka, Lasith Malinga is definitely the man to watch out for, asides skipper Dimuth Karunaratne.
Head-to-head
Lanka have the edge over Afghanistan
As far as the World Cup is concerned, both have faced each other once, as Lanka had reigned supreme in 2015. Both the teams have not clashed before in England, thus making this encounter a promising thriller. In the overall head-to-head ODIs to date, these two teams have locked horns three times, with Afghanistan scripting a win, while Lanka have pocketed two.
Pitch report
A seaming track awaits at Cardiff
Considering the 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. In the same light, it is highly possible that both the teams would go in with a slightly bowling-dominated playing XI.
Predicted XI
Here is the predicted XI
Afghanistan: Mohammad Shahzad (wicket-keeper), Asghar Afghan, Rahmat Shah, Noor Ali Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib (captain), Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Hamid Hassan. Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Perera (wicket-keeper), Avishka Fernando, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Milinda Siriwardana, Suranga Lakmal, Lasith Malinga.
Match details
When, where and how to watch
Match: Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka. Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Time: 3 PM (IST) Where to watch (TV): Star Sports 1, 2, Select 1 and other regional languages channels of Star Sports. Where to watch (Online): Hotstar.