In the first ODI at Pallekele, Afghanistan, led by captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, won the toss on a bright and sunny day. Opting to bowl first against Sri Lanka, Shahidi highlighted the presence of four seamers in their lineup and the potential dew factor later in the game as the main factors behind their decision. Afghanistan boasts a balanced attack with two frontline spinners complementing their quartet of seam bowlers.
In response, Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis expressed contentment with batting first, citing the favorable pitch conditions for the batters. Sri Lanka opted for a lineup featuring five frontline bowlers (three seamers and two spinners) and six batters. The inclusion of Wanindu Hasaranga at No. 7 adds valuable all-round capabilities to the team.
The weather in Pallekele is hot and humid, accompanied by a breeze across the ground. Fortunately, there’s no rain anticipated for the duration of the match. The pitch is firm, offering good bounce and allowing the ball to come onto the bat. While it favors batsmen, fast bowlers are expected to exploit the bounce.
The playing XIs are as follows (Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan):
Sri Lanka:
- Pathum Nissanka
- Avishka Fernando
- Kusal Mendis (capt, wk)
- Sadeera Samarawickrama
- Charith Asalanka
- Janith Liyanage
- Wanindu Hasaranga
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Dushmantha Chameera
- Pramod Madushan
- Dilshan Madushanka
Afghanistan:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk)
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Rahmat Shah
- Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt)
- Ikram Alikhil
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Gulbadin Naib
- Mohammad Nabi
- Noor Ahmad
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Fareed Ahmad
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