New Delhi:
In the seventh game of the ICC World Cup 2019, Afghanistan lost to Sri Lankan side in the match played at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff by 34 runs. Sri Lanka registers their first two points in the World Cup as they were bowled out for 201 by the Afghans after rain forced the play to be curtailed to 41 overs per side. Later, the target was reduced to 187 after applying the DL method.
Chasing a revised target of 187 from a maximum 41 overs, Afghanistan slumped from 34-0 to 57-5 then battled back through a 64-run stand between Gulbadin Naib (23) and Najibullah Zadran (43).
Sri Lanka again responded and took the final five wickets for 31 runs, with recalled seamer Nuwan Pradeep getting 4-31.
The 1996 World Cup winner lost its opening group game to New Zealand by 10 wickets. Afghanistan has two defeats from two matches, after a loss to Australia on Saturday.
The error-strewn match in Cardiff featured 52 extras - Sri Lanka’s 35 was the second-highest scorer in the scorecard - to strengthen the feeling this was a contest between the two teams likely fighting to avoid last place in the 10-team group.
The Afghans’ only win at a World Cup remains the one over Scotland in 2015 but they’ll feel this match slipped from their grasp, especially when Sri Lanka was reeling at 159-6 after three wickets in one over from Mohammad Nabi.
Sri Lanka, which made the fastest 10-over start to the tournament by racing to 79-0, lost its last nine wickets for 57 runs in 15.4 overs.
(With inputs from PTI)
