CWC 2019: AFG vs SL Preview – battered Asian teams seek upward flight
Five of the ten teams at the 2019 World Cup are from Asia. First three in action all suffered losses. Pakistan was cleaned up by West Indies, Sri Lanka was clobbered by New Zealand and Afghanistan struggled against Australia. Two of these three teams, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, now meet each other at Cardiff. This will be the best chance for both the teams to gain their first win of the tournament.
Sri Lanka played their opening match against New Zealand at the same venue – Cardiff. On a greenish track that suited the Blackcaps style of bowling, Sri Lankan batting fell away like a pack of cards. Other than the Captain Dimuth Karunaratne, the batting order was woefully out of touch. Although Afghanistan does not have the same quality lineup like that of the Kiwis, they can be a handful on a helpful track. With a low total to defend, Sri Lankan bowling remained untested.
Afghanistan also suffered a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Australians. Their batting unit needs to work harder and focus on how to make the most of their 50 overs. The Afghans have an extremely competitive bowling unit, but it needs to be supported by their batsmen. Rahmat Shah and Najibullah Zadran were impressive with the bat but the culture of batting long needs to be cultivated. A weak Sri Lankan bowling attack is Afghanistan’s best chance to come up trumps.
Match info
Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka, 7th match
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (03:00 PM IST)
Team tactics
Afghanistan
They have two of their most explosive batsmen at the top in Mohammad Shahzad and Hazratullah Zazai. Both were dismissed for zero in the first match. They will hope for a steadier start and then go hammer and tongs on the hapless Sri Lankan bowlers.
Sri Lankan batsmen have faced Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rehman only once and the duo picked up four wickets in that match. The spinners will exploit the inexperience of the opposition batsmen.
Sri Lanka
Although Sri Lanka lost their game New Zealand by ten wickets, they gained the experience of playing on the Cardiff track. The batsmen are expected to adjust better to the conditions than the Afghans who are playing on this ground for the first time.
Stat attack
Sri Lanka has now played five matches at the Sophia Gardens, Cardiff and has lost every game. Four of their losses have occurred while batting first.
These two teams have met each other in ODIs three times, and Sri Lanka holds the upper hand with a 2-1 lead. Their last match was in the Asia Cup in September 2018 where Afghanistan won by 91 runs.
Key players
Mohammad Shahzad (AFG)
The bulky wicketkeeper was cleaned up by Mitchell Starc in the opening game for a duck. Shahzad can destroy any bowling attack on his day and this Sri Lankan bowling attack is not likely to concern him. If he gets off to a fiery start, Afghanistan’s chances will rocket higher.
Lasith Malinga (SL)
The 35-year old is Sri Lanka’s strike bowler. He is a master of variations with the white ball. Malinga has featured in all three matches against Afghanistan so far and has a three-wicket haul to his name. He will be the bowler who will trouble Afghanistan the most.
