SL vs AFG Today's Match Expert Fantasy Tips & Player Stats, Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan 2024

2nd ODI • Pallekele International Cricket Stadium • Kandy

Sri Lanka

308/6 (50)

Afghanistan

153/10 (33.5)

SL won by 155 runs

Info

Fantasy

Live

Scorecard

Playing XI

Playing XILineups Out

Fantasy Top Picks

Expert Team 1

P Nissanka

M Nabi

Expert Team 2

P Nissanka

A Omarzai

Venue Details

Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

PitchFast & Bounce

Pace BowlingPace & Bounce

Batting ConditionAverage

Spin BowlingSlow Spin

1st Innings

257Avg Runs

8Avg Wkts

91.8Avg SR

2nd Innings

206Avg Runs

6Avg Wkts

91.87Avg SR

Team Form (Last 5 Matches, Most recent first)

Team Form (Last 5 Matches)

Sri Lanka

Afghanistan

Head To Head (Last 10 Matches)

6- 3

AFG

Team Comparison (Last 10 Matches)

Matches Played

Matches Won

237

Average Score

243

381/3

Highest Score

339/6

97/2

Lowest Score

139/10

Player of the Match Charith Asalanka

97(74)

Commentary

We now come to the conclusion of our coverage of the second ODI between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The Afghans were in contention of leveling the series with Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran well set, but a Wanindu Hasaranga special blew them away and left the Afghanistan camp stunned. With very little to play, both sides go up against each other for one final time in this ODI series at Pallekele on Wednesday. Join us right here on Sportskeeda for our coverage of the same, and keep following us for a whole lot more! This is Rajarshi Das, signing off on behalf of Arya Sekhar Chakraborty. Good night!

Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka captain: The toss was important. The pitch wasn't an easy one to bat on, but 325 was always in our mind. We planned on bowling as many dots as possible in the second innings. There are a few changes are in mind for the 3rd game.

Hashmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan captain): Loss is not a good thing for any team. Yeah this happened in the second innings. Our top order did really well but the end the ball was gripping especially from Hasaranga and we kept losing wickets. Over 300 is always pressure on the opposition. But when we looked at the conditions, we were positive to chase it down. The fielding was not good, we gave easy runs to them. We dropped four catches so it was the game changer. Today the bowling was good but we have to be more disciplined.

Charith Asalanka is the Player of the Match, here is what he had to say: It was challenging. It's always challenging when I am batting at No 5 as I don't know where I will bat so it's always difficult. Mendis and Sadeera batted really well but got out in quick succession. Had a chat with Janith that we will try to bat through the 40th over and he batted brilliantly. Firstly I was looking at 270-280 but when Janith was batting well I felt we could score 300 or even 320. I was bit confused that time. I couldn't get as much as I tried.

Sri Lanka won by 155 runs

Charith Asalanka 97(74) | Wanindu Hasaranga 4/27 (6.5)
Rahmat Shah 63(69) | Azmatullah Omarzai 3/56(10)

All over in a trice! At one stage, it seemed like we were in for a close game with Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim Zadran navigating the Afghans through the chase, looking to scale down a target of 309. But a misdirected short one from Asitha Fernando sparked a collapse right out of Afghanistan's worst nightmares. Wanindu Hasaranga proved to be far too good for Afghanistan's middle order with his skiddy variations as the leggie ran right through the Afghan line-up.

The last 9 wickets fell for a mere 25 runs, and within a span of just under 8 overs. It wasn't just cluelessness against Hasaranga that cost Afghanistan - some of the shots that were played were inexplicable. Ikram Alikhil's run out - trying to pinch a single straight to the man at square leg and falling short by a yard without the need of a direct hit summed it up really - a complete lack of match awareness. Not one Afghan middle order batter had the patience to bat their side out of a sticky situation.

Asitha Fernando proved to be a handful with the new ball. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran looked to give themselves time and play out the new ball. While Madushanka was a touch erratic, Asitha Fernando, having replaced Madushanka, struck right away, getting Gurbaz to nick at one without any feet movement. Ibrahim, though, played himself in alongside Rahmat Shah, and slowly, Afghanistan began growing in the game with the help of the duo.

Sri Lanka were a touch loose on the field, as the two batters kept rotating strike, finding the boundaries in between. Mendis had to turn back towards his pacers for a wicket, and Asitha was the one who brought it along. It was a mis-directed short one heading down leg that brought it along, but the ball climbed onto Ibrahim Zadran, who ended up producing a nick trying to hook. It was the Hasaranga show after that, as the leggie kept darting the ball in on off stump, got the ball to skid and turn, and with back-to-back strikes, sending the well-set Rahmat and Hashmatullah back in the 30th over, Hasaranga opened the doors up for the hosts right then.

A bit of brainfade, combined by some more brilliance from Hasaranga, helped Sri Lanka coast to a win eventually. Sri Lanka take an unassailable 2-nil lead in the series, and Afghanistan have to head back to the drawing board yet again.

And that is that! Was only fitting that Wanindu Hasaranga picks up the final wicket to seal the series for Sri Lanka - he was the one who made things happen and sparked the collapse!

33.5 Wanindu Hasaranga to Gulbadin Naib, WICKET! Afghanistan has been bowled out for 153. Gulbadin doesn't look happy at all, he felt he got an inside edge there. Was a tossed up wrong un around the middle stump, Naib tries to defend, the bat hit the pad for sure but did he nick it through? Hits him on the front leg and the umpire raises his finger to hand Sri Lanka a massive victory by 155 runs. Unfortunate for Gulbadin as replays showed there was some bat involved but this innings was going nowhere.

33.4 Wanindu Hasaranga to Gulbadin Naib, chops away the flatter trajectory wrong un a tad outside off, down towards the point region.

33.3 Wanindu Hasaranga to Gulbadin Naib, slowish on a good-length around middle, pushed away from the crease towards the short midwicket fielder.

33.2 Wanindu Hasaranga to Gulbadin Naib, quicker on a fuller-length around off, defended solidly off the frontfoot.

33.1 Wanindu Hasaranga to Gulbadin Naib, clofts away the tossed up delivery a tad outside off, towards the long-on fielder, Gulbadin refuses the single.

No third wicket for Madushanka this time! He fires the yorker in two deliveries too late, and Farooqi kept it out! This has been a rather sad capitulation from the Afghans.

overs

153 /9 score

runs

Fazalhaq Farooqi *

0 (3)

Gulbadin Naib

0 (2)

Dilshan Madushanka

2 /28

32.6 Dilshan Madushanka to Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farooqi keeps out the yorker-length delivery around off.

32.5 Dilshan Madushanka to Fazalhaq Farooqi, short of a length delivery outside off, left alone by Farooqi.

32.4 Dilshan Madushanka to Fazalhaq Farooqi, was the hat-trick ball and Farooqi digs out the slower dipping full toss, down towards the short midwicket fielder.

Two slips and a short leg in place. Hat-trick ball coming up...

Fazalhaq Farooqi, RHB, comes to the crease

Two in two for Madushanka! A hat-trick will do him a whole world of good! He has the number 11 to bowl to - the odds are heavily tilted towards the left-armer here!

32.3 Dilshan Madushanka to Noor Ahmad, WICKET! Afghanistan are 9 down here. That looked plumb, this time the ball angling back in from around the wicket. Was a good-length delivery and Noor was way too late into the attempted defence, strikes him on the back leg and the umpire had absolutely no hesitation in raising his finger. Afghanistan doesn't have a review left and Noor has to walk back. Afghanistan have lost their last 8 wickets for just 25 runs.