With two wins from five games, both Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have had inconsistent performances in the ongoing World Cup. As they approach the business end of the tournament, they cannot afford another setback. A single poor performance could spell the end of semi-final hopes for either team, and their encounter on October 30 has great importance. Notably, their overall ODI rivalry is heavily skewed in favour of Sri Lanka, who have also won their World Cup encounters.
Afghanistan have demonstrated that they are not merely here to participate, but to compete and consistently win matches. Victories over England, defending champions, and Pakistan, winners in 1992, have boosted their confidence. However, as they face Sri Lanka, they must maintain their composure. Afghanistan’s improved batting performances, especially from their middle order, have reduced the overreliance on the opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran. Their batsmen will be tested by Sri Lanka’s in-form bowlers, but the true nature of the Pune wicket should favour batting, as indicated by the average first-innings score of 301.
While Afghanistan’s bowling has never been a concern, they may need to adjust their strategy by including a pacer and dropping a spinner in Pune, given the ground’s history.
Despite injuries to some senior players and a lack of experience, Sri Lanka displayed resilience with back-to-back wins after a shaky start to the tournament. Those victories have propelled them from the bottom of the points table into the top six, rekindling their ambitions of a top-four finish. Inconsistent bowling was one of the reasons behind their early struggles. However, the recent win against England showcased the potential of a balanced bowling combination. Angelo Mathews’ return has been a significant boost, providing stability and experience to the team. Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama have been standout players for Sri Lanka, but they face a quality Afghan bowling attack.
Time and Venue Details
October 30, 2PM IST, MCA Stadium, Pune.
Expected conditions
Weather conditions in Pune on Monday (October 30) are expected to be rain-free. The pitch in Pune, known for its black soil, typically offers favorable conditions for batting. Neither batting first nor second offers a significant advantage, with results evenly split at 4-4.
Probable Playing XIs
Fazalhaq Farooqi is likely to replace Noor Ahmad for this game.
Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
One forced change in Sri Lanka’s playing XI. Dushmantha Chameera will come in for Lahiru Kumara, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the World Cup with a thigh injury.
Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis (c & wk), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dushmantha Chameera, Dilshan Madushanka
Matchups
Rahmanullah Gurbaz vs Dilshan Madushanka: Madhushanka has been the standout wicket-taker for Sri Lanka in this World Cup. His ability to consistently take early wickets during the powerplay has been a crucial asset for his team. He now faces a challenging contest against Gurbaz, who has been in excellent batting form. Madhushanka’s left-arm angle adds an interesting dimension to this battle.
Rashid Khan vs Sadeera Samarawickrama: Another captivating duel to watch out for will be between Rashid and Samarawickrama. Rashid, Afghanistan’s premier bowler, will take on Samarawickrama, who has been Sri Lanka’s most proficient player against spin in this tournament.
Team speak
“We are not thinking – like from tomorrow’s game, how to go to the semi-final. We think match by match and our mindset is busy with tomorrow’s Sri Lankan game right now. So, let’s see what happens tomorrow. Then we will think about other games and moving forward to the semi-final.” – Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan captain.