Match Preview - Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, Asia Cup 2022, Super 4

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Sri Lanka can breathe easy. Or can they?

Having been blown away by Afghanistan and then having to use every ounce of firepower to get past Bangladesh, they will once again face a trial by spin. Against the Rashids and the Mujeebs. However, the current Afghanistan team is beginning to establish a new bowling order. Their fast bowlers Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naveen ul Haq have been the perfect prelude to the spin superstars. So as a batting unit, there's unlikely to be any respite.

Does the current line-up have the confidence to take on bowling straightaway? In their virtual knockout, Sri Lanka had to go for broke, for a flight was waiting to take them home otherwise. Can they replicate a similar mindset with the stakes significantly higher?

Chris Silverwood's focus is on bringing back Sri Lanka to their refreshing approach to white-ball cricket that revolutionised the ODI game in the 1990s, the kinds that gave opponents nightmares when Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana destroyed attacks with disdain.

However, that is easier said than done. The proof lies in the pudding. Saturday will be another opportunity to test that.

Afghanistan have proved they're giant killers no more. UAE conditions are as good as home conditions. Most players are residents here, and train and play all year round on pitches such as these, and in weather far more oppressive. What they will want to guard against is complacency.

So far, they haven't been tested while batting first. How they approach it - should this scenario play out on Saturday - will be interesting to watch.

Afghanistan have the edge but having just about stopped the door from shutting them out of their own party, they will now want to barge it open.

Form guide

Pakistan: WLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Hong Kong: WWLWW

In the spotlight

On T20I debut, Asitha Fernando won Sri Lanka game that even his teammates thought had slipped away. His 10 out out of three balls helped clinch a thriller to put Sri Lanka in the Super 4s. Against Bangladesh, Asitha seemed a tad nervous and sprayed the ball around even as the Bangladesh top order took him on. He finished with 1 for 51 off his four overs. Now, he'd be looking to impress with the new ball, which is his primary skillset.

Can Fazalhaq Farooqi repeat his Group B performance?•AFP via Getty Images

Afghanistan are slowly beginning to establish an identity beyond their globetrotting T20 superstars. Among those who putting themselves high on the radar of franchises around the T20 circuit is Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The hard-hitting 20-year-old was given out on zero in the Asia Cup opener but overturned the lbw call on review and went on to take Sri Lanka's attack to the cleaners by making an 18-ball 40 in a low-key chase. Can he rise to the occasion? Now the stakes are high, and a Super 4 game win first up could set them on the road to the final.

Pitch and conditions

The surface in Sharjah will be the same as the Pakistan v Hong Kong game. There is likely to be some rough patches and dry spots that could aid the spinners. That said, the ground dimensions are significantly smaller than Dubai, and both sides have batters than can take surfaces out of the equation. So far, there hasn't been any dew across both venues. Toss should not be a deciding factor.

Team news

Both sides have a fully fit squad of players to choose from. They are unlikely to make changes.

Sri Lanka: 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Danushka Gunathilaka, 5 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Dilshan Madushanka.

Afghanistan: 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Mohammad Nabi (capt), 6 Karim Janat, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Naveen-ul-Haq, 10 Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Stats and trivia

Hazratullah Zazai and Gurbaz are the second-most prolific pair for Afghanistan in T20Is. They have eight fifty-run stands in just 21 innings together, including a 37-ball 83 against Sri Lanka last week.

In 13 T20Is this year, Sri Lanka have conceded runs at 8.21 during the powerplay at an average of 42.73. While this average is the worst among all Full Members, their economy is third worst, behind England and West Indies.

Mujeeb ur Rahman has a prolific record in Sharjah: 10 wickets in four T20Is.

Quotes

"Chris Silverwood is trying to bring back the positive, aggressive brand of cricket we used to play a couple of decades back. He has given us the freedom to think as adults and not be pampered." - Bhanuka Rajapaksa on Sri Lanka wanting to channel their 1990s brand of cricket

"The way the boys have performed, the way they have adjusted and taken the responsibility upon themselves has been great to see. In the Super 4s too, our focus is on playing the same brand of aggressive cricket, but also learn from the mistakes we made and not repeat it." - Rashid Khan on Afghanistan's simple mantra going forward

Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Recent Match Report - India vs Hong Kong 4th Match, Group A 2022

India 192 for 2 (Suryakumar 68*, Kohli 59*, Ghazanfar 1-19) beat Hong Kong 152 for 5 (Hayat 41, Kinchit 30, Bhuvneshwar 1-15, Jadeja -15) by 40 runs

A blazing half-century from Suryakumar Yadav, and a more sedate one from Virat Kohli, helped India cruise into the Super 4 round of the Asia Cup as they beat Hong Kong by 40 runs in Dubai. The victory ensured India would finish as the top team in Group A.

After being put in, India struggled to force the pace on the ball on a sluggish surface. But as the game progressed, the pitch seemed to ease out. Suryakumar cashed in on that, smashing six fours and as many sixes to post 68 not out in just 26 balls. Kohli, too, found his timing after a slow start and finished unbeaten on 59 off 44. His knock included one four and three sixes. The pair added an unbroken 98 in just 42 balls, propelling India to 192 for 2.

From there on, it was always going to be an uphill task for Hong Kong. Despite scoring 51 for 2 in the powerplay, they were behind the asking rate, and once the field spread out, their scoring rate dipped further. In the end, they could manage only 152 for 5.

However, it was a far from perfect game for India. Apart from a slow start, Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh looked off colour. Avesh gave away 53 from his four overs, and Arshdeep went for 44 from his quota. Both picked up a wicket each, though.

India' slow start
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul started slowly; India managed just six runs in the first two overs. Rohit broke the shackles by jumping out of his crease to seamer Haroon Arshad and launching him for a straight six. Rahul joined him later in the over when he dispatched a free hit over deep midwicket. Off the last ball, Rohit hit a four to make it 22 from the over.

Ayush Shukla broke the stand in the fifth over when Rohit mistimed an offcutter to mid-on. He scored 21 off 13 balls but Rahul was struggling for timing at the other end. Kohli too found it difficult to get going. At one stage, Rahul was on 21 off 25, Kohli on 12 off 14, and India hadn't managed a boundary for 22 balls. Rahul ended that drought with a six off Aizaz Khan but despite that India only got to 70 for 1 at the ten-over mark.

Suryakumar Yadav smoked 68 not out off just 26 balls•AFP/Getty Images

Suryakumar lights up the night
Kohli showed signs of aggression after the halfway stage, hitting Mohammad Ghazanfar for a four and a six in successive overs from the legspinner. Ghazanfar, though, ended Rahul's struggle by having him caught behind for 36 off 39 balls.

That brought Suryakumar to the middle, and he swept the first two balls he faced, from Yasim Murtaza, for fours. That was just the teaser, and soon he showed his full range. In the 16th over, he hit Aizaz over short third for four before scooping him for a six, off consecutive balls. A couple of overs later, he flicked Shukla over deep square leg to move to 41 off just 17 balls.

Kohli, meanwhile, brought up his fifty off 40 balls. Three balls after reaching the landmark, he slog-swept Ehsan Khan for a 91-metre six but it paled in comparison to Suryakumar's dazzling strokeplay.

In the last over of the innings, Suryakumar hit Haroon's first three deliveries for sixes - the second one took him to his fifty off just 22 balls and was arguably the shot of the day. He had initially shaped up for a scoop but seeing Haroon bowl it full and wide, he changed his shot and lofted it over deep cover. The fourth ball was a dot, and Suryakumar pulled the next one over short fine leg for another six. Haroon escaped with a couple off the final ball but India already had a daunting total.

Ravindra Jadeja hurt Hong Kong with a run-out and the wicket of Babar Hayat•AFP/Getty Images

Spinners put brakes on after Babar Hayat's brisk start
Arshdeep bounced out Yasim in the second over but Babar Hayat's power-hitting took Hong Kong past 50 in the sixth over. The tall right-hander smashed Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Avesh over their heads for a six off each. In the sixth over, he took on Arshdeep, hitting him for two fours.

India found some relief when Nizakat Khan was run out on the last ball of the powerplay. It was a free hit that Nizakat steered towards backward point before taking a couple of steps down the pitch. But Ravindra Jadeja nailed a direct hit before he could get back in.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Jadeja then conceded only 14 in the next four overs. That left Hong Kong with a monumental task of getting 128 from the last ten.

The chase peters out
At the end of the powerplay, Babar was on 29 off 17 but could manage only 12 off the next 18 balls he faced. Jadeja sent him back when he miscued a cut to backward point. Kinchit Shah and Aizaz offered some resistance by adding 31 off 22 balls for the fourth wicket but it was too little to trouble India. In the final two overs, Zeeshan Ali and Scott McKechnie hit a flurry of boundaries but that was too little too late to have an impact on the final result.

Hemant Brar is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Match Preview - Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2022, 5th Match, Group B

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It is a knockout match, so perhaps we should ask the tough question. Is this a real rivalry? Pull on your criss-cross deerstalker hats, Sherlocks. Get your magnifying glass. Clasp your notebooks tight. We about to investigate.

To understand what happened between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the 2018 Nidahas trophy, we must roll the clock back to the previous Bangladesh Premier League, where Nazmul Islam, an unassuming slow left-arm bowler, sought to sex up his workaday act by adding a fun celebration. This is the birth of the now-infamous "Nagin dance". In Nazmul's hands, it was joyful. Innocent even. Little did he know how this was all about to blow up.

When he claimed wickets against Sri Lanka in a limited-overs series early in that year, he busted out his celebration again. Hands cocked above his head, like a cobra, a little body-thrusting action. Why wouldn't he? But then, drama. Danushka Gunathilaka did an imitation of the dance when he got a wicket in that series.

Gunathilaka might say it was all just a little bit of fun, sir, and he didn't mean anything by it. But then you can also see from the Bangladesh perspective, how it might have seemed a mockery.

So when Mushfiqur Rahim hit the winning runs in a big chase against Sri Lanka in Colombo, he did the mock-Nagin dance at Gunathilaka, who was walking past him. Other Sri Lankan players then started doing it to mock Mushfiqur, I guess? Then the whole Bangladesh team started doing it, almost in solidarity with Nazmul and Mushfiqur.

Towards the business end of the series, there was a tense game between the two sides, and after some truly wild gesticulating and on-field arguments, the Bangladesh dressing room door at the Khettarama stadium was left shattered, when they won.

If this sounds like grown men acting childish, like a little celebration being blown way out of proportion, like fans getting riled up over meaningless theatrics, or if you've got dumber reading this preview until now, all of the above are valid feelings

But we are chroniclers here at ESPNcricinfo. It is our job to present facts. Even when the facts are stupid.

But we're in sports media, so I guess we should try hype this up. It could be close? If nothing else, these teams are evenly matched. Between Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin, Bangladesh certainly have a more experienced seam attack. Sri Lanka perhaps have the better spinners in Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. On the batting front, Bangladesh have the experience of Shakib Al Hasan, Mahmudullah, and Mushfiqur. But the likes of Charith Asalanka and Kusal Mendis have prospered against Bangladesh in the past. There's not a lot to separate the teams

Either way, whoever wins this game advances to the Super 4 round. Whoever loses returns home much earlier than their fans would have hoped.

Celebrations in the Bangladesh dressing room in Colombo went a bit too far in 2018•Andrew Fernando/ESPNcricinfo

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first) Sri Lanka LWLLL Bangladesh LLWLL

In the spotlight

Kusal Mendis has been in excellent Test-match form recently, before extending that to the shortest format, when he dominated Sri Lanka's premier T20 domestic tournament this year, shortly before setting off to the Asia Cup. He seems to have been sent up the order to open the batting in this series. Although his T20I stats are otherwise modest, this is a position he enjoys, striking at 137 when he opens, averaging 32 (career numbers are 121 and 20). He is auditioning to play this role in the T20 World Cup in October.

Amid Bangladesh's struggle in T20s over the last 12 months, Mahedi Hasan has been one of the rare consistent performers. He has the best economy rate in world cricket among bowlers who have played at least 25 innings, proving once again that orthodox offspin can still work. He brings out the side-arm deliveries from time to time, but is generally quite tight with his orthodoxy. Mahedi is also a decent hitter, and could even be used as an opener.

Pitch and conditions

It seems likely that the match will be played on a used surface, which means it might be a little more spin-friendly than tracks we have seen at this tournament. Temperatures will be scorching - likely in the low 30-degree celsius range, even in the evening.

Team news

Sri Lanka might just go in with the same XI, despite the big loss against Afghanistan. They may consider bringing the in-form Ashen Bandara into the middle order, however, perhaps in place of Danushka Gunathilaka. Or they might move Gunathilaka back up to the top of the order, and leave Pathum Nissanka out.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Pathum Nissanka, 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 5 Danushka Gunathilaka, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Matheesha Pathirana, 11 Dilshan Madushanka

Bangladesh have a batting quandary which could see them change the opening pair again. Mushfiqur Rahim was talked about as one of those options although he would have to agree to this unusual role. Bangladesh also could revisit their bowling attack.

Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mohammad Naim, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 4 Afif Hossain, 5 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Mohammad Saifuddin, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman/Nasum Ahmed

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka have won eight of the 12 completed matches between these teams, but lost two of the last three.

Kusal Mendis has scores of 53, 10, 57, and 11 against Bangladesh, striking at 169 across those four innings. He has opened the batting on all those occasions, twice in Bangladesh, and twice in Colombo.

In five innings in the UAE so far, Mahedi Hasan hasn't been particularly penetrative, taking just three wickets. But he has been economical, even if not quite up to his standards elsewhere, conceding 7.45 an over.

Quotes

"Our opening pair isn't clicking at all. We are missing Litton Das who is injured. I am hopeful the openers can bat to a plan. You can get out trying to hit the first ball, but it hurts us when nobody shows the intent. I want to see the intent. I want to see the change in mindset."
Bangladesh team director Khaled Mahmud, when asked about the possible batting improvements against Sri Lanka.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf

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Virat Kohli Takes Charge of Bowling in T20Is After 6 Years With an Economical Over Against Hong Kong

Former India captain Virat Kohli chipped in while defending a mammoth 193-run target by bowling an economical over at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Kohli was asked to bowl the 17th over of the innings when Zeeshan Ali and Kinchit Shah were batting in the middle. The 33-year-old didn’t leak any boundary and bowled an economical 6-run over.

Look who is bowling #INDvHK #ViratKohli #ViratKohli @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/KfCaw4fO6S

— Vinayaka M Poojary (@VinayakMPoojary) August 31, 2022

In 101 T20Is, Kohli has taken just 4 wickets and bowled just 152 deliveries during his illustrious career. The last time Kohli bowled in a T20I match was in 2016.

ASIA CUP 2022: FULL COVERAGE | SCHEDULE | RESULTS India beat Hong Kong by 40 runs to seal a place in the Super 4 stage of Asia Cup 2022. They are the second team to qualify for the next round after Afghanistan who also won their first two matches of the tournament. Earlier, Suryakumar Yadav’s fireworks in the last seven overs and combined with Kohli’s 31st T20I fifty propelled India to reach a daunting 192/2 against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup Group A match. At 94/2 in 13 overs, when KL Rahul’s struggle ended at 36 off 39 balls, Suryakumar walked in and changed the complexion of India’s innings. With his drives, slashes, scoops and sweeps apart from audacious wrist play, he brought out a barrage of boundaries on Hong Kong’s bowlers to remain unbeaten on 68 off 26 balls, hitting six fours and as many sixes. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lku8xeD2x98[/embed]
His stroke-play made other batters on the side look as if they were batting on a very different pitch. Suryakumar also shared a 98-run stand off just 42 balls with Kohli, who made 59 in 44 balls, hitting four and three sixes and brought out some shots in the end as India got 78 runs in the last five overs. It was Kohli’s second T20I half-century this year and a crucial one for him to return to form ahead of the 2022 T20 World Cup. He started a bit slow and took some time to get settled in the middle, however, managed to end the innings with a decent strike rate of 134.09 with some big shots at the fag end of the innings. Get the latest Cricket News, Schedule and Cricket Live Scores here

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Recent Match Report - Pakistan vs India 2nd Match, Group A 2022

India 148 for 5 (Kohli 35, Jadeja 35, Hardik 33*, Nawaz 3-33, Naseem 2-27) beat Pakistan 147 all out (Rizwan 43, Iftikhar 28, Dahani 16*, Bhuvneshwar 4-26, Hardik 3-25) by five wickets

Hardik Pandya cracked open the game for India with both ball and bat to take them to a tense win over Pakistan with two balls to spare. He bowled with pace and venom, using the short ball perfectly on a pitch with steep bounce to return figures of 4-0-25-3 and restrict Pakistan to 147. On a tacky pitch, India never really broke away from Pakistan until Hardik hit three boundaries in the 19th over. Even in the 20th, Mohammad Nawaz brought it to six required off three, but Hardik sealed it with a flat six over long-on to end up with 33 off 17.

This was a gruelling match played in oppressive heat and humidity. As a result, both teams struggled to keep time and were penalised for slow over-rate. But while Hardik's middle-overs wickets had made sure Pakistan couldn't really exploit there being only four fielders in the deep - instead of the usual five - Hardik was himself there to cash in with the bat.

Pakistan were further hampered by their key death bowlers - Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf - cramping up. In the end, they were left with Nawaz bowling the last over because India promoted Ravindra Jadeja when the two spinners - both turning the ball away from right-hand batters - had India in a choke hold in the middle overs. Jadeja immediately hit a six and a four off Nawaz, which meant they had to delay his final over. It also meant the asking rate never got to India because they knew they had that over left; as it happened, it was bowled with an extra fielder in the circle.

If it doesn't swing, dig it in
With grass on the pitch and also given the history of Dubai, it was a big toss to win for India. They expected swing, but didn't get any. While there was still seam movement on offer, Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a surprise bouncer to Babar Azam. It was a brave change-up with third and fine leg both inside the circle, but the line was wide, which meant Babar had to fetch it. He managed just a top edge for short fine leg to catch.

Just as Pakistan looked to make the most of the final powerplay over, Avesh Khan came back from a six and a four with another short ball that took the top edge from a Fakhar Zaman cut. At 43 for 2, Pakistan had fallen behind the game early.

Mohammad Rizwan just couldn't come to terms with the pitch, falling behind a run a ball. He could hardly time any of his attempted big hits. Iftikhar Ahmed, batting against spinners - not his stronger suit - still managed to score 28 off 22 in a 45-run partnership.

With eight overs to go, Pakistan needed to get a move on. This is when Hardik came back to bowl with great pace and bounce. The first ball was just too high and too quick for Iftikhar, taking a top edge on the hook. In the 15th over, Hardik took out both Rizwan and Khushdil Shah with the short ball to make it 103 for 5.

Dahani, Rauf give themselves something to bowl
Pinpoint knuckle balls from Bhuvneshwar then reduced Pakistan to 128 for 9, but Shahnawaz Dahani and Rauf managed to score 29 off 13 balls between the two of them. Dahani smacked two lovely sixes, one over long-on and another over midwicket, a hook to a slower bouncer.

Pakistan's fast bowlers impress
The start of India's innings was hectic. Naseem had KL Rahul play on with the second ball of his T20I career. Then Virat Kohli was dropped for a duck at second slip. Edges went past the wicket. Rohit Sharma kept getting beaten on the outside edge, enduring the slowest powerplay he has had in T20Is. The ball kept fizzing around, but in between Kohli played a lovely front-foot pull over wide mid-on and a back-foot punch. When the powerplay ended at 38 for 1, Pakistan were right in the game.

Hardik Pandya produced an all-round show in India's win•AFP/Getty Images

Spinners strike, India disrupt
India made a bold choice playing Kohli ahead of Rishabh Pant, the only left-hand batter in the top seven. It becomes tricky for India especially when Rohit and Kohli are batting together against spin. If there was any consolation, they didn't muck around. They went for their shots, but on this pitch Nawaz was good enough to have them caught on the boundary with the last ball of the eighth over and the first of the 10th.

Between those two wickets, India improvised, sending Jadeja in at No. 4. The purpose of that move is dual. They get to know how good Jadeja can be when given more batting responsibility, and they also force Pakistan to make a change. Of course all of this would only come to matter if if Jadeja could overcome his ordinary record against spin, which he did by using his feet against Nawaz to hit those boundaries and force Pakistan to keep his last over in the bank.

Both sides hang in
Now Jadeja stopped taking risks. Suryakumar Yadav tried but seam movement for Nasem flattened his off stump. Hardik and Jadeja then picked risk-free runs to see how long Pakistan could delay the return of Nawaz. Hardik especially was good enough to accumulate at a healthy rate. The bowlers began to cramp up. India played the waiting game. Even Pakistan were found three overs short, which made 32 off three overs look easier than it should.

Pandya overcomes Naseem heroics
When Naseem began the 18th, it was clear Pakistan were going to try their best bets first. However, Naseem's cramps became debilitating. He could hardly charge in, but conceded just five runs off the first four balls. He came close to getting Jadeja lbw but the batter got the decision overturned on review. The knockout blow came when Jadeja timed him over long-on for a six.

Hardik then used the extra fielder in to place his boundaries instead of muscling them. Three fours in the 19th over left India just seven to get in Nawaz's over. In a final twist, Jadeja was bowled trying to play the slog-sweep, and it came down to six required off the last three. If Pakistan could keep Hardik off strike they had a chance because Karthik's record against spin is ordinary. However, Hardik coolly hit a flat six over wide long-on to take India home.

Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Recent Match Report - Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Group B 2022

Afghanistan 106 for 2 (Gurbaz 40*, Zazai 37, Hasaranga 1-19) beat Sri Lanka 105 all out (Rajapaksa 38, Farooqi 3-11, Nabi 2-14) by 8 wickets

A thrilling all-round performance saw Afghanistan crush Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the first game of the 2022 Asia Cup. The bowlers set the foundation, reducing Sri Lanka to 5 for 3, with Fazalhaq Farooqi responsible for most of the carnage. Despite a brief resurgence in the middle thanks to a 44-run stand between Danushka Gunathilaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Afghanistan struck back hard, running through the lower order.

Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb ur Rehman and Mohammad Nabi were all among the wickets, and despite late resistance from Chamika Karunaratne, the 105 Sri Lanka managed was woefully inadequate. It took the Afghan openers just 10.1 overs to take it down; Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai racked up 83 runs in the Powerplay itself effectively ending the game as a contest right there.

The first three overs
There was chaos and controversy to kick off the Asia Cup, but by the time the fog of the first three overs lifted, Afghanistan had a vice-like grip on the game. Farooqi struck twice in two balls in the first over to remove Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka, but it was Pathum Nissanka's wicket that raised eyebrows. The umpire deemed the batter to have nicked off to the keeper, only for Sri Lanka to review immediately. In a baffling bit of third umpiring, the on-field umpire was advised to stand by his decision despite UltraEdge showing almost no deviation. It caused consternation among the Sri Lanka camp, but Afghanistan had the rub of the green. Over the next three hours. They made it count.

Rajapaksa revival
There was the briefest glimmer of hope for Sri Lanka just after that destructive start that saw them lose three early wickets. It came in the form of a classy little stand between Gunathilaka and Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa lifted Naveen ul Haq over the mid-off boundary for a glorious six to kickstart that passage of play, with his team-mate joining in later in the over. The real carnage took place in the final Powerplay over that saw the pair plunder four boundaries in an over that cost 20 to undo some of the damage that had happened early on. But when Gunathilaka sent a reverse sweep straight down deep cover's throat, things began to unravel for Sri Lanka once more. Rajapaksa soldiered on briefly, but was ultimately done by some shocking running that saw two wickets fall in that fashion in two balls.

Karunaratne's resistance
It was probably much too late by the 15th over, but Karunaratne wasn't to know that. Farming the strike adroitly for the final five overs, he almost single-handedly added 30 to the final partnership to ensure Sri Lanka recovered from 75 for 9 to post a three-figure total. It was an engrossing period of play in many ways, with almost every delivery struck to a deep fielder and ending up as a dot ball. There were occasions where the running might have been sharper, but after two run-outs that could only be described as brain freezes, Karunaratne wasn't taking any chances.

Gurbazball?
A low-scoring game in the UAE against Sri Lanka has the potential to become a horrid second-innings scrap, but Gurbaz wasn't having any of it. In a whirwind of a cameo, he would thump 40 off 18 balls to help Afghanistan rack up 83 in the Powerplay, breaking the back of the chase before Sri Lanka's spinners could even get into their work. Matheesha Pathirana and Maheesh Theekshana were singled out for punishment, tonked for 16 and 21 respectively in a no-holds barred display of pure power.

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Match Preview - India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2022, Group A

Big picture

Every time there is an Asia Cup around, its relevance is brought into question. Is it not enough that it brings together India and Pakistan for an actual game of cricket outside the World Cup and Champions Trophy? This edition has the potential of as many as three matches between them. It is not the case but even if the rest of the tournament is a facade to just find a way to have these teams play, it is worth it.

Since their last bilateral engagement in the first week of 2013, the two sides have faced each other only 12 times, four of them in the Asia Cup. Among Full Members, they have played only Afghanistan and Ireland less frequently in this period.

To have them play frequently is important because the more India and Pakistan play each other, the less jingoistic the fans' reaction becomes, the less the chances of a repeat of what Mohammed Shami had to face the last time these two teams played.

Among the players themselves, distance has made their hearts grow fonder. Just look at the concern India's players have for the fitness of Shaheen Shah Afridi, their wrecker the last time they played, in the video that has gone viral.

Since that match, India have shed a lot of their inhibition with the bat. Pakistan have shed some ageing batters, but they are still anchor-heavy, which works only in great bowling units. And their bowling is not the same as the last time around. Apart from Afridi not being there, Imad Wasim is missing, and Hasan Ali is back at the last minute only because Mohammad Wasim got injured. That points to the ordinary form of Hasan.

India, too, will be missing Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, but they still look more settled coming into the Asia Cup. They are tactically much more switched on than they were earlier. However, come match day in T20 cricket, these things can all be blown out of the park. Especially when you play each other as infrequently as these teams do.

Form guide

India WWWLW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Pakistan LWWWW

In the spotlight

Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. We don't yet know if they are peas from the same pod but the spotlight is sure to follow them wherever they go. Kohli has bought into the team philosophy of taking more risks even though he has himself not been getting the runs. Forget the external noise, it can be silenced, but is the trust the team is putting in him despite an extended dry run now becoming a bit of pressure?

Since their last bilateral series in 2013, Pakistan and India have faced each other only 12 times•AFP/Getty Images

Babar continues to be the run machine but does he trust the batters after him sufficiently to play a more enterprising game? It will be in sharp focus now that their bowling attack doesn't look as strong as it did last year. Especially if Pakistan are sent in to bat first at a chase-friendly venue.

Team news

It is incredible that India could be going into the match with the same top seven as last year but still hold a completely different outlook and threat. It is not likely that they take a player of Kohli's stature into the squad and then make him sit. That leaves Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik for one slot. Pant is a more all-round batter and is the only left-hand batter in the top six; Karthik is a specialist finisher. Tough choice.

India (probable): 1 KL Rahul 2 Rohit Sharma (capt) 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rishabh Pant/Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 R Ashwin/Avesh Khan, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Pakistan's top seven is more or less settled, leaving some debate over the bowlers. With Shadab Khan being the vice-captain, it is unlikely they will be going for two wristspinners, so Mohammad Nawaz is likely to pip Usman Qadir. With Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah providing high pace, they could pick the control of Shahnawaz Dahani over Mohammad Hasnain.

Pakistan (probable): 1 Babar Azam (capt), 2 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Asif Ali, 5 Iftikhar Ahmed, 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Shadab Khan, 8 Mohammad Nawaz/Usman Qadir, 9 Shahnawaz Dahani/Mohammad Hasnain, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Naseem Shah

Pitch and conditions

The World Cup last year and all the IPLs in the UAE, where matches began at 6pm, are a clear indicator that Dubai tilts the scales heavily in favour of the chasing side. There is some tackiness early on, and there is dew to contend with for only one side, as opposed to both teams in case of late starts.

Other than that, keep an eye out for the oppressive heat. Even during the night, the temperatures are expected to hover around 35°C.

Stats and trivia

• India lead Pakistan 8-5 on head-to-head in the Asia Cup, both formats put together. They are on a three-match winning streak.
• This will be Kohli's 100th T20I, making him only the second player after Ross Taylor to play 100 international games in all three formats.

Quotes

"When there is an opportunity to try different combinations, we will try. Along the way, if we make mistakes or face difficulties, we're okay with that. We have spoken about it as a group, and there is nothing to fear."
Rohit Sharma says India will keep experimenting in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup

"Honestly, that [last World Cup] game is a thing of the past now. It won't have an impact on Sunday's match. I am completely focused on tomorrow's game. The teams are kind of different, the conditions are different. Although as a side we are confident, we won't talk big ahead of the game. We wish to prove it on the field." Babar Azam doesn't want to be drawn into the hype of the last year's World Cup win

Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo

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Match Preview - Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2022, Group B

Big picture

It's a very 2022 thing to say, but it's possible that Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are pretty evenly matched sides.

Hear me out.

Of the two sides, Afghanistan tend to play weaker teams, of course, but since 2020, they have won a T20I series against Ireland, won two against Zimbabwe, and drawn one against Bangladesh.

By comparison, Sri Lanka have won just one T20I series since 2020. This was against India. That sounds impressive. Until you remember this was the series in which an already depleted India team (their Test side was on tour on some other continent, playing England) trounced Sri Lanka in the first match, before no fewer than seven of their players contracted Covid-19, and they barely managed to put an XI on the field, packing the side out with bowlers, including net bowlers.

Sri Lanka may be a resurgent team on the whole. They have got something cooking on the Test front. Their ODI form hasn't been terrible lately. But in T20Is? There are some stars in the team now, but certainly no consistent results. They have won just two of the last 11 T20Is they have played.

The batting is where Sri Lanka will feel they have more quality than the opposition. Kusal Mendis is in excellent form, across formats. Charith Asalanka was terrific in the UAE during last year's World Cup. Najibullah Zadran and Hazratullah Zazai have been good for Afghanistan this year, but can they do it against high-quality spin?

This is another opportunity for Afghanistan to show they deserve to play tougher opposition more often. And Sri Lanka to show that while they struggle against the top teams, they can still beat the sides they have historically dominated.

Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, still a spin duo to reckon with•AFP/Getty Images

Form guide

Sri Lanka WLLLL (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Afghanistan LWWLL

In the spotlight

Dasun Shanaka's last T20I innings was essentially a miracle. At one stage in the third T20I against Australia in Pallekele, Sri Lanka needed 59 runs from 18 balls, with only four wickets in hand. Shanaka took the side home in a hail of sixes, making 54 not out off 25 balls. Although his ODI form has been modest, Shanaka's T20I form has been excellent this year - he's hit 302 runs at a strike rate of 145, across 11 innings. Sri Lanka have been found wanting for death-overs fireworks for years now. They need Shanaka to carry his 2022 form through.

Afghanistan's captain, Mohammad Nabi, has not had so much T20I fun with the bat recently. In the recent series against Ireland, he was out five times and made a top score of 9. But then that's just one series (he'd had good batting outings against Zimbabwe earlier in the year). And his bowling continues to be effective, particularly on the kinds of pitches the UAE is likely to throw up, and with which he is familiar.

Pitch and conditions

Conditions have been hot and dry in Dubai, with the playing surface covered for large parts of the day. With training entirely held at the ICC Academy nearby, curators have had enough time to water the surface and ensure moisture content is maintained. On each of the last four evenings, there hasn't been much dew at night. This is something teams will gladly welcome because it will minimise the toss advantage. It will also make for an even contest between bat and ball.

Team news

Shanaka was guarded about the make-up of his XI ahead of the match, but suggested there would be a left-arm seamer in operation, which means Dilshan Madushanka may be in line for a debut. He's likely to have sling-arm seamer Matheesha Pathirana for company. Sri Lanka have decisions to make on the batting front, though. Ashen Bandara has been in good domestic form. But Dhananjaya de Silva has more all-round appeal. And then there's Pathum Nissanka. If they are to accommodate Nissanka in the XI, Mendis may move down the order.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Kusal Mendis (wk), 2 Danushka Gunathilaka, 3 Charith Asalanka, 4 Bhanuka Rajapaksa, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva/Ashen Bandara, 6 Dasun Shanaka (capt), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Chamika Karunaratne, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Matheesha Pathirana, 11 Dilshan Madushanka

Dushmantha Chameera will be missed, his presence could have made Sri Lanka the favourites•BCCI

If the pitch is turning, Afghanistan may stack their side with spinners. Between Rashid, Mujeeb, left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad, and Nabi's darts, they could have a lot of slow-bowling options.

Afghanistan (possible): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Mohammad Nabi (capt), 6 Samiullah Shinwari, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Karim Janat, 9 Naveen-ul-Haq, 10 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 11 Noor Ahmad

Stats and trivia

• Incredibly, these teams have only played one T20I against each other, in the 2016 World Cup. Sri Lanka won that match with seven balls to spare.
• Nabi has played more T20Is in the UAE than anywhere else, with 35 appearances. His stats on both fronts are impressive. He's made 593 runs here, striking at 138. And he's taken 31 wickets, with an economy rate of 7.09.
• Shanaka's 2022 form is a huge improvement on previous years. He's not only never hit more than 224 runs in other years (he has 308 so far this year), he'd also not struck at more than 135 in any year in which he'd hit more than ten runs.

Quotes

"We're hoping to use a familiar combination. We'll have two main fast bowlers, and an allrounder in Chamika Karunaratne. And we might have a left-armer too."
Sri Lanka captain Shanaka on the seam attack's likely make-up.

Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf

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Pakistan to face India on August 28 in Asia Cup

Pakistan and India will face each other on August 28 as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced the schedule for the Asia Cup 2022 (T20 format).

Hosts Sri Lanka will play against Afghanistan in the opening match of the Asian event. Meanwhile, Sharjah and Dubai will host the multi-nation event.

The much-awaited contest between Pakistan and India will remain the centre of attraction. In 2021, Pakistan beat India by 10 wickets to win their first-ever World Cup match against the arch-rivals.

In the first phase, UAE, Singapore, Kuwait, and Hong Kong will play in qualifiers. Later on, a team from the qualifiers will join the five main teams for the main event.

Asia Cup 2022 was first scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka. But later on, due to the political and economic crisis in the country, the event was shifted to the UAE.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/pakistan-to-face-india-on-august-28-in-asia-cup/?feed_id=5860&_unique_id=62e9e3d7e9efc