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

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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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Japan seeking to organise 'creditors meet' on Sri Lanka debt crisis

Japan could chair such a meeting with China if that would speed up process of addressing Sri Lanka's debt, reports Reuters news agency, citing sources.

Japan, the number two creditor, has a stake in rescuing Sri Lanka because of its diplomatic interest in checking China's growing presence in the region. (Reuters Archive)

Japan is seeking to organise a Sri Lanka creditors' conference, hoping it could help solve the South Asia nation's debt crisis, but uncertainties cloud the outlook for any talks, three people with knowledge of the planning said. "Sri Lanka is running out of time since it defaulted on its debt. The priority is for creditor nations to agree on an effective scheme," one source told the Reuters news agency on Thursday. "Japan is keen to move this forward. But it's not something Japan alone can raise its hand and push through," said the source, adding that the cooperation of other nations was crucial. Japan would be willing to chair such a meeting with China if that would speed up the process of addressing Sri Lanka's debt, estimated at $6.2 billion on a bilateral basis at the end of 2020, this source said. Tokyo hopes to see a new debt restructuring framework resembling one set up by the Group of 20 big economies targeting low-income countries. Sri Lanka does not fall under this "common framework" because it is classified as a middle-income emerging country. "It must be a platform where all creditor nations participate" to ensure they all shoulder a fair share in waiving debt, another source said. The third said, "Until these conditions are met, it would be difficult for any talks to succeed." S&P Global this month downgraded Sri Lanka's government bonds to default after it missed interest and principal payments. Meeting could take 'several months' President Ranil Wickremesinghe told Reuters last week that Sri Lanka would ask Japan to invite the main creditor nations to talks on restructuring bilateral debts. He said he would discuss the issue with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo next month when he is expected to attend the funeral of the assassinated former premier Shinzo Abe. Tokyo, the number two creditor, has a stake in rescuing Sri Lanka, not just to recoup its $3 billion in loans but also its diplomatic interest in checking China's growing presence in the region. Last month, shortly after Wickremesinghe took office when his predecessor fled the country, Chinese President Xi Jinping wrote to him that he was "ready to provide support and assistance to the best of my ability to President Wickremesinghe and the people of Sri Lanka in their efforts". A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson told Reuters that Beijing was "willing to stand with relevant countries and international financial institutions and continue to play a positive role in helping Sri Lanka respond to its present difficulties, relieve its debt burden and realise sustainable development." Some people involved think an initial creditors' meeting could be held in September, but one source said it would "take a little while, possibly several months". The island nation of 22 million people off India's southern tip, with debt at 114 percent of annual economic output, is in social and financial upheaval from the impact of the Covid pandemic on top of years of economic mismanagement. Source: Reuters

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Zim in Aus - Marnus Labuschagne wants to continue to get better at No.5 after disappointing tour of Sri Lanka

Marnus Labuschagne is a self-confessed tinkerer when it comes to his batting, sometimes changing things mid-innings, and he is focused on using the upcoming six ODIs against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in northern Australia to continue to adapt his middle-order game with little more than a year to go until the World Cup.

Labuschagne now has 21 ODIs under his belt since making his debut shortly before Covid disrupted the game - the opening ODI against Zimbabwe in Townsville on August 28 will be Australia's first on home soil since November 2020. He scored a century in his fifth innings, an emotional performance against South Africa in the country of his birth, and has also made a couple of sparkling half-centuries either side of Australia's 13-month absence from the format.

However, he was left frustrated by his returns on the recent tour of Sri Lanka, even knowing there were some tough conditions as the series progressed, having fallen between 18 and 31 in all five innings.

"Looking back on it, I certainly wish I'd played a slightly different way," he told ESPNcricinfo. "I almost started a little too defensively so I'm just reviewing my theories there and wished I'd applied my Test method a little bit more in those conditions; sweeping the ball, using my feet a little more. It was a bit disappointing from my end, that I didn't really do that until the Test series came. For me, it's a learning experience."

Part of that learning is to adjust to what could be the No. 5 position on a more regular basis. He twice batted there in Sri Lanka, with Josh Inglis and Travis Head in the slot above, and though neither of those players is part of the current squad, Mitchell Marsh and Steven Smith could both go in ahead of Labuschagne.

"I enjoy the different challenges, that's for sure," he said. "I always like batting in the top order, I've spent my whole life there, but understanding the team make-up, batting at No. 5, I need to continue to get better at that role and through the middle overs understanding when to attack and defend. It's about really trusting myself. That's the great thing with the coaching staff, they have full trust in us as players, to take the game on and put pressure back on the opposition.

"To be really positive out of the blocks is key for me. Understanding what the situation is. If we are going well it's about making sure that I'm getting the other batter on strike if he's really got momentum and starting to build the partnership. Putting the bowler under pressure from ball one and if I can do that it certainly changes the dynamic."

There has been some discussion about whether there is room for both Labuschagne and Smith in the ODI middle order with them having career strike rates of 85.80 and 88.43 respectively, but unsurprisingly, Labuschagne is not having a bar of that. Back in November 2020, the pair produced a stand of 136 in 16 overs against India at the SCG which gave a glimpse of how they could work together.

"I don't really see us as similar players, I think we attack the game very differently," Labuschagne said. "[Steve] goes a lot more straight down the wicket, especially against spin, whereas I attack it quite square with sweeps. Obviously, I think there's room for both of us. Steve got 100 off 60 balls against India in back-to-back games and feel like we complement each other depending on what the situation is. If it's a tough wicket, we can control the middle overs, but on the other side, we can put pressure on the opposition at a lower risk and be able to score quickly. The challenge is we've just got to continue to push that run rate, especially when we are batting first, and we both understand that."

On the broader theme of the ODI format's standing in the game at a time of unprecedented schedule crunch, Labuschagne is equally enthusiastic and hopes to add another chapter to Australia's World Cup legacy next year in India.

"I love 50-over cricket, it's a good mix, you need to show some really good tactical nous, understanding your opposition, getting wickets through the middle overs and trying to score at seven or eight runs an over at low risk, that's a different challenge in itself. I really enjoy the format, there's space for all three, it's just about how we schedule it.

"The history that comes with one-day cricket makes it such an amazing format. There's been so many great World Cup wins over so many years, so to be a part of a World Cup would be an amazing experience and one that I look forward to. Still think it's the pinnacle of international white-ball events."

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/zim-in-aus-marnus-labuschagne-wants-to-continue-to-get-better-at-no-5-after-disappointing-tour-of-sri-lanka/?feed_id=14866&_unique_id=6305275d42253

Asia Cup 2022 - Sri Lanka news

A calf strain has put Dushmantha Chameera, Sri Lanka's premier short-format quick, out of the Asia Cup. A member of the Sri Lanka team management told ESPNcricinfo that Chameera picked up the injury "three-or-four days ago" and will not recover in time for the Asia Cup.

A doctor working with the team confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Chameera's ankle injury, which has to do with his achilles tendon, has now moved up into the calf. While the injury has not been fully assessed yet, it is thought he can regain fitness in time for the T20 World Cup which begins mid-October.

On Saturday, Chameera had been named in Sri Lanka's 18-man squad for the Asia Cup despite not completing a full recovery from an ankle injury. At the time, it was understood that Chameera would be given as much time as possible to regain full match fitness. This will no longer be the case.

Right-armer Pramod Madushan, who had been part of the standby list when the squad was announced, has been added to the main squad as Chameera's replacement.

Chameera's absence will put additional pressure on an inexperienced Sri Lankan seam-bowling attack at the Asia Cup. Their fast-bowling contingent now has Dilshan Madushanka, Madushan, Asitha Fernando and Matheesha Pathirana - all uncapped in T20Is - with allrounders Chamika Karunaratne and Dasun Shanaka as the other options. Binura Fernando and Kasun Rajitha are also unavailable because of injuries.

Their spin attack, however, wears a more potent look, with Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama and Jeffrey Vandersay in the mix. Still, Sri Lanka will need to find alternative options to deliver the new-ball and death overs Chameera frequently delivered.

Sri Lanka's campaign begins on August 27 against Afghanistan in Dubai.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/asia-cup-2022-sri-lanka-news/?feed_id=14614&_unique_id=63047dde0a2ab

How Sri Lanka's economic collapse raises alarm bells for other emerging markets

During the 2010s, Sri Lanka had one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia. 

Things took a 180-degree turn at the end of the decade as the country's economy stumbled. In May 2022, the government defaulted on its debt for the first time in history. 

As inflation continued to spiral out of control, with a massive shortage of food, fuel and medicine for the country's 22 million people, Sri Lankans took to the street, forcing the president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, to resign and flee the country. 

Even though Sri Lanka has a new president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, protests continue. Inflation has risen past 50% — and could hit 70% — making it harder for people to survive. 

Many experts believe that Sri Lanka's story is a warning sign for emerging markets. 

"Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic collapse in its modern history," said Sumudu W. Watugala, assistant professor of finance at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. "This is due to long-standing structural weaknesses exacerbated by a series of idiosyncratic shocks. Sri Lanka's crisis can be a warning sign to other developing nations because it's a classic emerging market crisis in many ways."

So what does Sri Lanka's economic crisis signal about similar economies and emerging markets? Watch the video to learn about more risks involved in emerging markets, how Sri Lanka's economy collapsed and the country's path forward. 

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/how-sri-lankas-economic-collapse-raises-alarm-bells-for-other-emerging-markets/?feed_id=10622&_unique_id=62f88ac1003ed

Sri Lankan ex-president Rajapaksa arrives in Bangkok after fleeing protests

Gotabaya Rajapaksa flew into Singapore from the Maldives on July 14 after fleeing a deepening economic crisis and widespread protests in his home country, and tendered his resignation shortly after his arrival.

Rajapaksa fled his nation after tens of thousands of protesters overran his official residence last month. (Tananchai KEAWSOWATTANA / THAI NEWS PIX / AFP)

Former Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has arrived in Bangkok after his visa ran out following a month-long stint in Singapore where he had taken refuge from protesters at home.

The deposed leader landed on a private jet at Don Mueang International Airport around 8:00 pm local time (1200 GMT) on Thursday, a senior Thai official said.

Rajapaksa flew into Singapore from the Maldives on July 14 after fleeing a deepening economic crisis and widespread protests in Sri Lanka, and tendered his resignation shortly after his arrival.

Sri Lankans arriving in Singapore normally receive a 30-day visa, but authorities said they had initially given Rajapaksa only two weeks and later extended the visa by another two weeks.

The Thai foreign ministry, as well as a source in Colombo, had said on Wednesday that he was seeking a new safe haven in Thailand.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6Fje2PPCWI[/embed]

'No political asylum'

"His Singapore visa runs out on Thursday," a close associate of Rajapaksa in Colombo said on Wednesday. "He had applied for an extension, but it had not come through as of Wednesday morning."

The source said Rajapaksa planned a short stay in Thailand and would return to Singapore.

The Thai foreign ministry confirmed it had received a request from Colombo for the 73-year-old deposed leader to visit and an assurance that he would not seek political asylum.

The Rajapaksa confidant said that the former leader was keen to go home as protests against his administration had fizzled out, but his successor Ranil Wickremesinghe had advised him against an early return.

READ MORE: Sri Lanka's ousted president seeks temporary stay in Thailand

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX_4_QR25Gk[/embed]

Singapore officials had said he was on a private visit to the city-state and the foreign minister stressed that he was not given any special privileges.

"In general, the Singapore government does not accord privileges, immunity and hospitality to former heads of state or heads of government," Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said in a written reply to a question in parliament last week. "Consequently, former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa was not accorded any privileges, immunity or hospitality."

Rajapaksa fled his nation after tens of thousands of protesters overran his official residence last month angry about acute shortages of food, fuel and medicine endured by Sri Lanka's 22 million people since late last year.

READ MORE: World Bank not to offer new funding for bankrupt Sri Lanka

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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Sri Lanka's ousted president seeks temporary stay in Thailand

Fast News

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai says the current Sri Lankan government supported Gotabaya Rajapaksa's trip to Thailand, adding that the former president's diplomatic passport would allow him to stay for 90 days.

Prayuth also said Rajapaksa could not participate in any political activities while in Thailand. (AP)

Sri Lanka's former president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is expected to arrive in Thailand and stay temporarily in a second Southeast Asian country since fleeing his island nation last month in the midst of mass protests.

The former military officer, who is the first Sri Lankan head of state to quit mid-term, is expected to travel from Singapore to Thailand's capital of Bangkok on Thursday, two sources said. 

Thai authorities said Rajapaksa had no intention of seeking political asylum and would only stay temporarily.

"This is a humanitarian issue and there is an agreement that it's a temporary stay," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters on Wednesday.

Prayuth also said Rajapaksa could not participate in any political activities while in Thailand.

Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said the current Sri Lankan government supported Rajapaksa's trip to Thailand, adding that the former president's diplomatic passport would allow him to stay for 90 days.

Rajapaksa has made no public appearances or comment since leaving Sri Lanka.

Rajapaksa fled to Singapore on July 14 and resigned from office shortly afterward, following unprecedented unrest over his government's handling of the worst economic crisis in seven decades, and days after thousands of protesters stormed the president's official residence and office.

Sri Lanka's economic crisis is a result of several factors, including Covid-19, which battered its tourism-reliant economy and slashed remittances from workers overseas, rising oil prices, populist tax cuts and a seven-month ban on the import of chemical fertilisers last year that devastated agriculture.

READ MORE: Sri Lanka to restart IMF bailout talks amid economic crisis

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMOrZuAlTbY[/embed]

Source: Reuters

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/sri-lankas-ousted-president-seeks-temporary-stay-in-thailand/?feed_id=9404&_unique_id=62f4c315ef822

Sri Lanka urges China to defer military ship visit after India's pressure

New Delhi fears its bigger and more powerful rival China will use Sri Lanka's Hambantota port as a military base in India's backyard.

The Pentagon says Yuan Wang ships are operated by the Strategic Support Force of the People’s Liberation Army. (brisl.org)

Sri Lanka has said it had asked China to defer the planned visit of a Chinese ship to the island country after initially approving its arrival this week, yielding to diplomatic pressure from neighbour India to keep the military vessel out.

The Yuan Wang 5 was due to arrive on Thursday at the Chinese-built and leased Hambantota port in Sri Lanka's south for five days for replenishment. 

It is currently sailing in the east Indian Ocean, according to Refinitiv Eikon.

Foreign security analysts describe the Yuan Wang 5 as one of China’s latest generation space-tracking ships, used to monitor satellite, rocket and intercontinental ballistic missile launches. 

The Pentagon says Yuan Wang ships are operated by the Strategic Support Force of the People’s Liberation Army.

New Delhi fears its bigger and more powerful rival China will use Hambantota as a military base in India's backyard. The $1.5 billion port is near the main shipping route from Asia to Europe.

Sri Lanka's foreign ministry said that on July 12 it had approved the ship's arrival for this month.

READ MORE: Why did Sri Lanka ask China to restructure debt repayments?

Verbal protest

"Subsequently in light of the need for further consultations, the ministry has communicated to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Colombo to defer the visit of the said vessel to the Hambantota port," the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

India said late last month it was monitoring the planned visit of the ship, adding that New Delhi would protect its security and economic interests. India also lodged a verbal protest with the Sri Lankan government.

Asked about the controversy over the ship, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a regular news briefing that China's relations with Sri Lanka were "not targeted at third parties."

Relations between India and China have been strained since armed clashes on their Himalayan border two years ago killed at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.

Both China and India have tried to expand their influence in Sri Lanka, which is facing its worst economic crisis in its independent history, though India has provided more help to it this year than any other nation.

READ MORE: India says China has no 'locus standi' on Kashmir as OIC summit concludes

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga denied NOC to play in the Hundred, forced to pull out of £100,000 contract

Wanindu Hasaranga has been denied a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in the Hundred by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and has been forced to pull out of his £100,000 contract with Manchester Originals as a result.

Ashley de Silva, SLC's chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo that the board turned down his request because they want him to be physically and mentally fresh ahead of the Asia Cup, which starts on August 27, and the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.

Originals had previously expected Hasaranga to miss the Hundred due to a clash with the Lanka Premier League, before that tournament was postponed. They will have the option to retain him for the 2023 season if they can agree a contract with him.

ESPNcricinfo understands Tristan Stubbs, the middle-order batter who hit 72 off 28 balls in the first T20l against England last week, has been signed as a replacement and will link up with Originals after South Africa's second T20I against Ireland on Friday.

Originals play their first game of the 2022 season against Northern Superchargers at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday night and are likely to fill their three overseas slots with Andre Russell, Ashton Turner and Sean Abbott. Turner is expected to drop out of the XI when Stubbs is available and then return to the side when Russell leaves for the CPL, which starts on September 1.

Elsewhere, Welsh Fire confirmed on Thursday that Naseem Shah has withdrawn from the tournament after his selection for Pakistan's tour to the Netherlands and the Asia Cup. Naseem did not play in Fire's defeat to Southern Brave on the opening night and will not link up with the squad. They are yet to announce a replacement.

Birmingham Phoenix have brought in Brett D'Oliveira, the Worcestershire allrounder, and Timm van der Gugten, the Glamorgan seamer, as injury replacements for Tom Abell and Olly Stone respectively. "We're delighted to add two experienced players to the Phoenix men's squad," Craig Flindall, their general manager, said.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/sri-lankas-wanindu-hasaranga-denied-noc-to-play-in-the-hundred-forced-to-pull-out-of-100000-contract/?feed_id=7143&_unique_id=62ed878ca062a

Sri Lanka president seeks unity government amid economic crisis

President Ranil Wickremesinghe aims to form an "all-party government" to battle the economic crisis that led to months of lengthy blackouts and shortages of food, fuel and medicine in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka's president says said the inflation currently running at 60.8 percent could go up further. (Reuters)

Sri Lanka's new president Ranil Wickremesinghe has formally invited MPs to join an all-party unity government to revive the bankrupt economy by undertaking painful reforms, his office has said.

In a meeting on Saturday with the influential monks of the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, one of Buddhism's most sacred shrines, Wickremesinghe outlined his plans.

"As the president, I wish to start a new journey," Wickremesinghe was quoted by his office as telling the monks in his first meeting with the powerful Buddhist clergy since taking office.

"I would like to get all the parties together and go on that journey as well as to form an all-party government."

He has written to all lawmakers asking them to join a unity government.

Wickremesinghe took office earlier this month after public anger over the island nation's worst economic crisis forced his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and quit.

READ MORE: Sri Lanka delays agreement with IMF 'due to unrest'

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Mp-DQsIhc[/embed]

Wickremesinghe's rise to power

A former opposition MP, Wickremesinghe, 73, took up the premiership for the sixth time in May after Rajapaksa's elder brother Mahinda resigned and there were no other takers for the job.

Wickremesinghe went onto become the president after Gotabaya escaped on July 9 when tens of thousands of protesters angry at the economic crisis stormed the presidential palace.

He fled to Singapore from where he resigned five days later and Wickremesinghe became interim president and later won a vote in parliament confirming his ascension.

Sri Lanka's 22 million people have endured months of lengthy blackouts, record inflation and shortages of food, fuel and medicines.

Since late last year, the country has run out of foreign exchange to finance even the most essential imports.

In April, Sri Lanka defaulted on its $51 billion foreign debt and opened bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund.

READ MORE: World Bank not to offer new funding for bankrupt Sri Lanka

Expanding cabinet

Wickremesinghe told monks that the economy would decline further this year with a contraction of 7.0 percent, but expected a recovery next year.

"I am working to re-stabilise this economy and build the economy in such a way that the country can be developed by 2023, 2024.

"It is a difficult task. But if you don't do it now, it will be more difficult. We should think about whether we should try to cure the patient by giving medicine or let the patient die without giving medicine," he added.

After he was elected president, Wickremesinghe appointed an interim cabinet leaving the door open for others to join.

He has called a new session of parliament from Wednesday and is expected to expand the 18-member cabinet to accommodate members from opposition parties.

READ MORE: For ordinary Sri Lankans every day is a battle

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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Asia Cup 2022 shifted from Sri Lanka to the UAE

The Asia Cup 2022 will be held in UAE, as reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier this month. Sri Lanka will remain hosts for the tournament to be played between August 27 and September 11.

"Every effort was made to host the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka and the decision to shift the venue to the UAE was taken after much deliberation," Jay Shah, the Asian Cricket Council President, was quoted as saying in a press release on Wednesday. "The UAE will be the new venue while Sri Lanka will continue to retain hosting rights."

Sri Lanka is going through one of its worst crisis with supplies of food and fuel drying up. The country has still been able to host bilateral cricket, with Australia and Pakistan making the trip over, but with the Asia Cup being a multi-team tournament, the challenges of hosting it in the midst of economic turmoil were a touch too much.

"Hosting two teams is not the same as hosting ten teams," SLC chief executive officer Ashley de Silva told ESPNcricinfo on ten days ago. "You have to provide ten buses with fuel for all of them. You have to give every team a luggage van with fuel, and transport for the managers. You also have to give the sponsors transport and ensure that they are getting the mileage that they want from their sponsorship. The fuel for the generators to run the floodlights will also have to be found."

The ACC had limited options regarding back-up venues considering June through September is monsoon season over most of the Indian subcontinent. In terms of the infrastructure and travel, the UAE has proved to be a successful venue, but late August and early September generally witness extreme temperatures of over 40°C with humidity also expected to be a factor.

The Asia Cup, last held in 2018, will be played in T20 format this time and serve as preparation for the World Cup in October. It will start with a qualifying round of matches between UAE, Kuwait, Singapore and Hong Kong. The winner will go on to the main tournament and play Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/asia-cup-2022-shifted-from-sri-lanka-to-the-uae/?feed_id=3006&_unique_id=62e194434e6c4

Sri Lanka president’s office to reopen after crackdown

Sri Lanka’s besieged presidential office will reopen on Monday (Jul 25), police said, days after anti-government demonstrators were flushed out in a military crackdown that triggered international condemnation.

Widespread public anger over the island’s unprecedented economic crisis saw protesters storm and occupy the colonial-era building earlier this month.

Soldiers were forced to rescue then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa from his nearby residence on the same day, with the leader fleeing to Singapore and resigning days later.

Troops armed with batons and automatic weapons cleared the 92-year-old presidential secretariat in a pre-dawn raid on Friday on the orders of Rajapaksa’s successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

At least 48 people were wounded and nine arrested in the operation, during which security forces tore down tents set up by protesters outside the complex since April.

“The office is ready for reopening from Monday,” said a police official on Sunday, who declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

“The siege of the secretariat, which lasted since May 9, has now been lifted.”

Police said forensic experts had been called in to check damage to the presidential secretariat and gather evidence.

Western governments, the United Nations and human rights groups have condemned Wickremesinghe for using violence against unarmed protesters who had announced their intention to vacate the site later on Friday.

Wickremesinghe defended the crackdown and said he had told Colombo-based diplomats on Friday that blocking government buildings was unacceptable.

Police spokesman Nihal Talduwa said protesters were free to continue their demonstrations at a designated site near the presidential office.

“They can remain at the official protest site. The government may even open a few more places for demonstrators in the city,” Talduwa said on Sunday.

The military operation to clear the secretariat building and its immediate surroundings came less than 24 hours after Wickremesinghe was sworn in and just before a new Cabinet was appointed.

Sri Lanka’s 22 million people have also endured months of lengthy blackouts, record inflation and shortages of food, fuel and petrol.

Its government is officially bankrupt, having defaulted on its US$51 billion foreign debt, and is currently in bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund.

The economic crisis which fuelled the protest campaign shows no sign of easing, but the government announced on Sunday it would reopen schools which had remained shut for the better part of a month.

The education ministry said students and teachers will be asked to return to school only for three days each week as transport is still hampered by a national fuel shortage.

Miles-long queues of motorists waiting to fill up were seen across the country Sunday despite the government introducing a rationing system.

New president Wickremesinghe has said he will unveil a fresh budget for the rest of the year in August as previous revenue and expenditure estimates were unrealistic.

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/sri-lanka-presidents-office-to-reopen-after-crackdown/?feed_id=1646&_unique_id=62de071038da0

Recent Match Report - Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 2nd Test 2022

Sri Lanka 315 for 6 (Chandimal 80, Oshada 50, Nawaz 2-71) vs Pakistan

The openers put on 92 together, Dinesh Chandimal made 80, and Niroshan Dickwella went to stumps on 42 not out, as Sri Lanka strode to 315 for 6 for the day. On a flat Galle surface that will take some days to properly wear, this was neither a commanding total, nor a modest one.

While spinners found turn, it wasn't the rapid variety that causes collapses. The quicks found some movement off the surface, but only while the seam was hard. It was a batting-friendly day. And if anything, Sri Lanka may be kicking themselves for losing one wicket too many.

Of Pakistan's bowlers, Mohammad Nawaz seemed the likeliest to take wickets, even if he was somewhat wayward at times. Nauman Ali, the other left-arm spinner, was more consistent, and took the wicket of Angelo Mathews, who was playing his 100th Test. But Pakistan's bowlers didn't have a lot to work with - the turn off the pitch still mostly slow, even if the occasional ball erupted off the pitch.

Sri Lanka may reflect they were unfortunate to lose two wickets to such deliveries. The balls that got Oshada Fernando (from Nawaz), and Mathews (from Nauman), turned and bounced more than most deliveries had during either batter's stay. Then there was the dismissal of Kusal Mendis, which came from one of those run outs where the bowler does well to get a hand to a straight drive and the non-striker doesn't get their bat down quickly enough. Kusal had only faced 10 balls, and was out by just a couple of frames.

It was Chandimal, the form batter in the Sri Lanka side, who pushed Sri Lanka forward better than anyone else, however. Two of his first three boundaries boundaries were streaky - an inside edge past the stumps off Yasir Shah, and a outside edge past slip against Naseem.

But eventually, things settled, and Chandimal was in his confident-but-measured self, finding gaps through cover when he went for the big drives, working the singles square on either side of the pitch, but rarely employing the sweep apart from when he was looking for a boundary. He got to fifty off the 99th ball he faced, and hit a couple of sixes off Yasir Shah soon after - one over deep square leg when Yasir sent him a long hop, and the other over wide long-on, when he got down on one knee to clatter Yasir.

As with several of Sri Lanka's batters, Chandimal was out against the run of play, when he had been under little pressure from the bowlers. He ran down at Nawaz, got nowhere close to the ball, tried to launch him over cow corner anyway, and ended up just giving a leading edge out to point, where Fawad Alam gobbled a straightforward catch.

Mohammad Nawaz picked up two wickets on day one•AFP/Getty Images

Oshada, Sri Lanka's other half-centurion, had also attacked the spinners in the morning session. He used his feet to hit three sixes in the arc between midwicket and long-off, although the first hour had largely been defined by watchfulness and defence. He got to his half century, raised his bat, and was out moments later, edging a big-turning Nawaz delivery behind, as he sought to defend.

His was the first of three top order wickets to fall for 28 runs. Kusal was out from that unlucky run out off the ball that turned out to be the last of the first session. Soon after resumption, a Dimuth Karunaratne reverse sweep found backward point, and Sri Lanka's captain was out for 40, again despite the lack of serious pressure upon him. This, though, came in Yasir's best spell of the day, in which he also tested Mathews and Chandimal.

While Sri Lanka did not put on a century stand, they had three that surpassed 50, and only one that was worth less than 24. Dickwella's busy 42 not out off 43, in which he hit five boundaries and a six, perhaps edged the day for the hosts, though there's plenty of work to be done by the lower order.

At stumps, Sri Lanka were dreaming of a total in excess of 400. Pakistan one south of 350.

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

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/recent-match-report-sri-lanka-vs-pakistan-2nd-test-2022/?feed_id=1566&_unique_id=62ddd3879856e

Match Preview - Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, Pakistan tour in Sri Lanka 2022, 2nd Test

Sri Lanka would have felt they were on track for victory at the end of day three of the first Test, until Abdullah Shafique and Co swept the win from under them in the last two days. But even Sri Lanka reflected that theirs was a far-from-complete performance. If you bat first in Galle, you have to score "350 to 400 runs" to control the game, Dhananjaya de Silva had said after the match. They had made 222.

Then, in the second innings, only Prabath Jayasuriya seemed a wicket-taking threat for the majority of Pakistan's 127.2 overs at the crease, and Sri Lanka lost a match that seemed in the bag.

It wasn't quite a perfect Test for Pakistan either, but in Shafique, they now have a Test batter that right now is putting up bigger numbers than even Babar Azam. Their weakness, like Sri Lanka's, is the bowling attack, which is a strange thing to say about a Pakistan side.

Their seamers are excellent on pitches that offer them something, but in Galle, no significant reverse swing has been seen for three Tests running. Aside from Mohammad Nawaz, their spinners weren't especially consistent in the second innings either.

As always, with these teams, there is the problem of them not playing remotely as expected from one match to another. On the surface, it seems as if Pakistan should ride on the momentum of a monumental chase, and put substantial pressure on the hosts.

But series between these teams frequently surprise. Maybe, in this one - and this would be the biggest surprise of all, given the way the first Test went - both teams will take all their chances.

(Last five matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka LWLWD
Pakistan WLDDW

Angelo Mathews will be playing his 100th Test. It has been quite a career. He has batted all day to save a Test away from home. He has hit plenty of big innings in the company of the tail, most memorably his 160 at Headingley that helped turn a dire situation into a victory. He has also had a public fight with a coach, and plenty of minor humiliations, and has spent months away from the side owing to leg injuries, but has also been part of some of Sri Lanka's greatest Test victories.

He only gets picked for Tests now, which means this might be his last international until March next year. A big contribution would be the perfect way to celebrate the occasion.

Abdullah Shafique, just 22 years old, has an average of 80, and a great fourth-innings knock to his name. There are plenty of batters who have 12-year Test careers without an innings as impressive as the 160 not out he just played in Galle. Shafique did it in his 11th innings. What was most impressive about the knock was that it wasn't a gamble.

He backed his defence, saw out 408 balls, even if he was occasionally - but not outrageously - fortunate to survive. And in partnerships with batters who have played a lot more cricket than him, Shafique seemed like the more accomplished player.

It is Galle, so it will turn. And it is July, so at some point, the weather will impose itself. It has been nine years since there has been a draw at this venue, so a result is always likely.

Sri Lanka have got Pathum Nissanka back in the squad, but because Oshada Fernando has scored runs, he might retain his position. Meanwhile, the injured Maheesh Theekshana has been ruled out. So Dunith Wellalage, the left-arm spin-bowling allrounder, is likeliest to make a debut.

Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Oshada Fernando, 2 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva, 6 Dinesh Chandimal, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Ramesh Mendis, 9 Dunith Wellalage, 10 Prabath Jayasuriya, 11 Asitha Fernando

Pakistan may bring in left-arm spinner Nauman Ali for Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is out with a knee injury. At times in the first Test, they seemed to have too many quicks, given the state of the pitch. Afridi had taken four wickets in the first innings of that match, but Pakistan may be going in with a better combination this time.

Pakistan (possible): 1 Abdullah Shafique, 2 Imam-ul-Haq, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Babar Azam (capt), 5 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 6 Agha Salman, 7 Mohammad Nawaz, 8 Nauman Ali, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Yasir Shah, 11 Naseem Shah

Source https://www.globalcourant.com/match-preview-sri-lanka-vs-pakistan-pakistan-tour-in-sri-lanka-2022-2nd-test/?feed_id=990&_unique_id=62dc47b7dca79