Big image: A contemporary chapter for Sri Lanka
The Afghanistan males’s group has performed seven Tests of their historical past; for Sri Lanka, that is the primary of eight (maybe 9) scheduled for 2024. This is, on the floor, a mismatch.
Rashid Khan will not be with Afghanistan to offer his menacing legbreaks and normal inspiration – he’s nonetheless recovering from again surgical procedure, and has not performed aggressive cricket since November. Their most skilled spinner in a nation the place spin incessantly decides matches is left-arm wristspinner Zahir Khan, who has a mean of 44.90 from his 4 Tests. And having arrived in Sri Lanka solely on Tuesday evening, they’ve given themselves lower than three days to acclimatise. This, more and more, is the quantity of respect Tests are given in some elements of the world.
Where Afghanistan will really feel they will meet Sri Lanka on extra equal phrases, nonetheless, is with the bat. In the shorter codecs, Ibrahim Zadran has had success towards Sri Lanka, as has Rahmat Shah, whereas captain Hashmatullah Shahidi averages 53.57 in Test cricket. In the ODIs Afghanistan have performed in Sri Lanka, it’s their batting that has most impressed. They will take no little confidence of their current dominance over Sri Lanka’s bowling in that format.
Sri Lanka are in the beginning of a contemporary chapter – Dhananjaya de Silva is getting his first Test on the helm. So far, he has not promised something radical. A larger emphasis on fielding, maybe, however no wholesale overhauling of technique or personnel. He has been a dynamic presence within the Sri Lanka Test aspect, having recently grown into an honest lower-middle-order batter, who contributes considerably with ball and within the area as properly. How he marshals an assault with none out-and-out matchwinners and the way incessantly he bowls himself will make for fascinating viewing.
Sri Lanka LLWWL (final 5 Tests, most up-to-date first)
Afghanistan LWLLW
In the highlight: Dimuth Karunaratne and Ibrahim Zadran
Dimuth Karunaratne had requested to step down from the captaincy after the final World Test Championship cycle. The selectors had requested him to hold on for another yr, however have now lastly let him go. Karunaratne is the one Sri Lanka participant to have made the ICC’s Test groups of the yr since 2017 – he has been there thrice, together with in 2023 – and, for the reason that begin of 2021, has averaged 56.18, excellent for an opener. If there are good batting days at SSC, which is his dwelling floor in home cricket, anticipate him to money in.
Ibrahim Zadran‘s ODI scores towards Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka are: 22, 54, 98, 162, 10, 106. It is round him that the highest order has tended to rally on the island, and from him they’ve taken cues on the best way to play spin. He has not been fairly so constant in Tests, with three fifties within the ten innings he has performed to date. But with the SSC floor anticipated to be respectable for batting over the primary three days (and significantly after the primary morning), Ibrahim is greatest positioned from his aspect to make a considerable rating.
Sri Lanka have a settled batting order however might toy with the concept of taking part in a 3rd seamer in the event that they really feel Afghanistan are inclined to good seam bowling.
Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Nishan Madushka, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), 7 Sadeera Samarawickrama (wk), 8 Ramesh Mendis/Kasun Rajitha, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Vishwa Fernando
Shahidi spoke on the eve of the match about testing Sri Lanka’s batters with tempo, which may imply that Mohammad Saleem is in for a Test debut. Zahir will probably be among the many frontline spinners, with left-arm fingerspinner Zia-ur-Rehman one other attainable choice, particularly as Zia can add worth with the bat.
Afghanistan (possible): 1 Ibrahim Zadran, 2 Abdul Malik, 3 Rahmat Shah, 4 Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), 5 Nasir Jamal, 6 Bahir Shah, 7 Ikram Alikhil (wk), 8 Zia-ur-Rehman, 9 Yamin Ahmadzai, 10 Mohammad Saleem, 11 Zahir Khan
There was a tinge of inexperienced on the SSC on the eve of the sport, which suggests there might be some seam motion on the primary morning. Expect it to flatten out and get higher for spin later, nonetheless. At first look, this didn’t appear the spinner’s paradise the SSC has usually been for Tests over the previous six years. The climate has been comparatively dry in Colombo over February. Only transient showers are forecast.
Source web site: www.espncricinfo.com
Post Views: 39
.jpg)
