Afghanistan will look to start off their campaign on a high when they clash with a depleted Sri Lanka side in match 3 of the Asia Cup on September 17 (Monday) at Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, Angelo Mathews and his boys will have to regroup after a humiliating loss against Bangladesh in the opening encounter. Sri Lanka had Bangladesh in the grip but let it go after a superb batting effort from Mushfiqur Rahim. They have a lot of work to do on the batting front as it failed against the Tigers.
Despite starting the tournament on a losing note, Sri Lanka would take a few positives from the game. Lasith Malinga, the team’s lynchpin, who was returning to the ODI XI after a gap of one year, bowled zestful spells in the heat to bag four wickets.
On the other hand, Afghanistan have been in fine form in the recent past. Their batting has done well with most of them scoring 300+ runs this season. RahmatShah was also in good nick in the series versus Ireland, where he put up decent performances on tricky surfaces.
On the bowling front, the spin twins, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rehman, will be expected to make an impact on slow tracks in the UAE. Sharafuddin Ashraf and Nabi form the rest of the spin quartet. With the pacemen finding some seam movement under lights, Afghanistan will be keen to bolster the pace attack by picking both Aftab Alam and Wafadar.
Pitch and Conditions
The temperature in Abu Dhabi is forecast to be a shade more forgiving than it has been in Dubai. The temperature is likely to hover in the 30 degrees range rather than the low forties.
It is possible dew could form after nightfall, perhaps making the ball slightly harder to grip for the team bowling second. Over a period, pacers have also found some assistance under lights in the UAE, but the track in Abu Dhabi is likely to be slower.
Predicted XI
Afghanistan
Afghanistan may mostly stick to the combination that brought them success in Ireland – though they did switch up their batting order right through that series.
They may consider playing a second frontline seamer in Sayed Shirzad, in addition to right-armer Aftab Alam.
Sri Lanka
Probable XI: Upul Tharanga, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews (c), Niroshan Dickwella/Dasun Shanaka, Thisara Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Akila Dananjaya, Lasith Malinga
Match Predictions
Both the teams will look for a win in the crucial encounter in the Asia Cup. For Sri Lanka, it is a do-or-die encounter, while, Afghanistan will look for a positive start.
The Lankans will start low after suffering a humiliating defeat and will have to regroup themselves. On the other hand, Afghanistan are coming from the back of few wins which will keep them confident. But they are yet to do something good on major tournaments.
Having said, Afghanistan will have an edge over Sri Lanka taking their recent form into consideration.