Emboldened by back-to-back wins, a tenacious Sri Lanka will have to tide over the injury-enforced absence of lead pacer Lahiru Kumara when they face a spirited Afghanistan in a battle for survival in the World Cup here on Monday.
Kumara was ruled out of the World Cup on Sunday with a left thigh muscle injury, which he suffered here during a training session.
Pacer Dushmantha Chameera has come in as his replacement. But the Lankans have shown a propensity to fight against the odds.
With two wins from five matches, both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have kept alive their outside hopes of making it to the semi-finals, provided they don’t suffer any more hiccups and also other results go their way in the showpiece event.
After three successive defeats, Sri Lanka have revived some hopes with two convincing victories over the Netherlands and England. But they will take Afghanistan lightly at their own peril.
Sri Lanka’s Dunith Wellalage (centre) during training in Pune on Sunday. PTI photo
Afghanistan have sent shock waves across the world with wins over England and Pakistan and will look to knock the wind out of the sails of Sri Lanka to continue their success story.
For the Islanders, the return of experienced all-rounder Angelo Matthews has helped the bowling unit to ace the middle-overs. Sri Lanka have been guilty of conceding too many runs in that phase in the past.
Dilshan Madushanka and Kusan Rajitha have taken 11 and 7 wickets so far in the event and will need to produce the goods. Maheesh Theekshana, however, hasn’t really set things on fire with his spin.
In batting, Pathum Nissanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama have emerged as
two of their best ODI batters this year.
Nissanka, with his fourth consecutive fifty of this tournament, and Samarawickrama with his second, got the job done for the Lankans in their last game.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, are coming into the match after recording their highest successful chase in ODIs with a solid top-order display. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, with 224 runs, has been their best batter but Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rahmat Shah have also looked good.
Afghanistan have won just thrice in 11 ODIs against Sri Lanka but never in the two meetings in World Cups.
With inputs from PTI
