CWC2023: Afghanistan outplayed Sri Lanka , keeps hope SF chances

  


Afghanistan continues to beat  big teams one after another in the World Cup.  They beat 1996 World champs Sri Lanka in Pune on Monday.  Afghanistan won by 7 wickets.  They have already defeated England and Pakistan in the World Cup.  Sri Lanka is the victim of Afghanistan this time.  Afghanistan won three matches with this in the World Cup.  They have never had such a good World Cup before.  As a result of the victory, Afghanistan rose to fifth in the points table.  They have 6 points in 6 matches.  Sri Lanka's chances of making it to the last four have dwindled as they were stuck on 4 points from the same number of matches and will have to play hot favourites India next at Mumbai .



 In each of the matches that Afghanistan have won, team contributions have been seen.  The Pakistan match saw a big innings from the first four batsmen.  Two openers played well in the England match.  On this day an opener Rahmanullah Gurbaj got out for zero runs, but the rest top order batters played a good innings in the next lot of  overs and won the match in style .  Fazlhaq Farooqui performed well with the ball taking 4 wickets & winning man of the match .


 Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bowl first.  No Sri Lankan batsman could score big runs from the crease for long.  Dimut Karunaratne (15) returned cheaply to lead the team with 22 runs.  Pathum Nissanka and Kushal Mendis put on a partnership of 62 runs for the second wicket.  Both of them gave wickets even after settling down at the crease.  Nissanka returned for a well made  46 runs but could not convert it to a big score .  Mendis was out for 39 runs and also missed a big score after settling down .  The team's reliable batsman Sadira Samaravikram (36) could not save the team from danger.  Later, Angelo Mathews (23) and Mahish Thikshana (29) ensured that  Sri Lanka reached close to 250.  Farooqui took 4 wickets for 34 runs in 10 overs.


This 241 run was not enough to challenge the Afghan batsmen.  Especially where both their openers are in form.  However, in the first over on the innings , Dilshan Madushanka bowled Gurbaj with a fast ball.  Well, Sri Lankan bowlers put Afghanistan under pressure that one time. However subsequently   Rahmat Shah (62), Hasmatullah Shahidi (58 not out) and Azmatullah Omarzai (73 not out) scored fifties for Afghanistan and were not troubled at all by the Lankan bowlers on a flat batting deck as Afghanistan completely outplayed Sri Lanka with ease .


 Afghanistan had no difficulty playing Sri Lanka's  bowling.  The loss of Lahiru Kumara, captain Dasun Shanaka and Mathisha Pathirana due to injuries put Sri Lanka in dire straits.  There was no bite in the Sri Lankan bowlers to contend with.  Afghanistan's batsmen also had no difficulty playing.

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