Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, SL vs AFG, Today Match Prediction 27 November 2022

sl vs afg Match Prediction & Analysis

Sri Lanka would not have expected a loss in the first ODI against Afghanistan, especially given they are playing at home. Sri Lanka were outplayed in all 3 departments. Afghanistan, however, surprised many, given how well they played given they are playing away. The momentum now rests with Afghanistan, but Sri Lanka will not back down without a fight.

Not a start Sri Lanka would have wanted, given they were playing at home. The bowlers did not get a good start and the batting just could not keep up. They want to turn this around in this game and level up the series. 

On the other hand, Afghanistan must be on cloud 9, as this was one of their most convincing performances against a big opponent. They will look to carry on this momentum into the next game and clinch the 3-match series in the next game itself.

This will be a fascinating contest, as Sri Lanka fight to stay in the series but also put up a strong comeback. As far as Afghanistan is concerned, they would want to wrap up the series in this game. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Sri Lanka Preview

The Sri Lankan squad looked completely out of sorts and not a performance you would expect, given the players they have. They would need to perform much better with both Bat and Ball in order to win the next game and stay alive in this 3-match series. 

The bowling department was not up for it at all. The first wicket came at 84 and the second at 202. To give them some credit, they picked up wickets in the end and did a commendable job restricting them to under 300 runs, but the damage was already done. Hasaranga was the pick of the bowlers picking up 2 wickets for 42 runs. 

The batting could not keep up with the pace and crumbled like a pack of cards, getting bowled out in 38 overs. Pathum Nissanka put up a fight, scoring 85 off 83 balls but did not have any support. Sri Lanka had hopes up until, Hasaranga was batting, given he was batting beautifully but perished after scoring an impressive 66 off 46 balls, which wasn’t enough.

Key Players:

Pathum Nissanka, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana.

Sri Lanka Predicted Playing XI:

Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis(w), Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka(c), Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha.

Sri Lanka Actual Playing XI:

Lahiru Kumara, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Maheesh Theekshana, Kasun Rajitha, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Dinesh Chandimal, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Wanidu Hasaranga, Charith Asalanka

Afghanistan Preview

Competing in their first-ever series in Sri Lanka, things could not have gone any better for Afghanistan. The win in the first ODI was not any ordinary win, but a win where they outplayed Sri Lanka in every department. 

The batting department was fantastic, as they provided the team with the much-needed start with an 84-opening run stand. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah scored a half-century but the star of the show and Man of the match, Ibrahim Zadran, scored an exceptional 106 off 120 balls. The team would be extremely happy with all the batting contributions and will want much of the same in the second game. 

The Bowlers were amazing as they did not let the Sri Lankan batsmen settle, picking up wickets at regular intervals and choking the batsman. Gulbadin Naib picked up 3 wickets, but Fazlhaq Farooqi was the star picking up 4 wickets for 49 runs in 9 overs. This was a special performance, and they will want to back it up with another win.

Key Players:

Rahmat Shah, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran,  Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Afghanistan Predicted Playing XI:

Rahmanullah Gurbaz(w), Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmat Shah, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Yamin Ahmadzai.

Afghanistan Actual Playing XI:

Hashmatullah Shahidi, Gulbadin Naib, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Yamin Ahmadzai, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The weather will play a huge factor, with an 80% chance of rain on match day. The maximum and minimum temperatures will be in the 30°C - 20°C range.

Venue Details

The Pallekele International Stadium has staged quite a few ODIs. The wicket at the Pallekele International Stadium usually favors the batsmen. With even bounce and short boundaries coming into play, batsmen tend to score big runs. 

Toss: To Bowl

As there are chances of rainfall, the smarter option would be to bowl first and chase down the total if the D/L method comes into play. However, being a batting-friendly wicket, the teams might also want to take advantage of the fresh pitch.