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Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan ODI III Tips - Spinners likely to rule

By Sridhar Bhamidi

06 Jun 2023

Sridhar Bhamidi 06 Jun 2023

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Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan ODI III predictions to be played in Hambantota on Wednesday morning, IST
Sri Lanka have won 5 of their last 8 home ODIs
Ibrahim Zadran has scored fifty or more in 4 of his last 5 ODIs played in Sri Lanka
Wanindu Hasaranga has taken the most wickets for Sri Lanka in 4 of his 5 ODIs played in Hambantota
Rashid Khan has 2 or more wickets in 3 of the last 4 ODIs he bowled against Sri Lanka
Can the spinners dominate the scene once again for Sri Lanka?

Another Wanindu Hasaranga masterclass loading? (Getty Images)

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan ODI III

Sri Lanka stormed back to life with a smashing win in the second ODI against Afghanistan to level the series 1-1. It’s all to play for in the third match on Wednesday as the teams battle again at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan ODI III
Head to Head
Sri Lanka Form
Sri Lanka Team News
Afghanistan Form
Afghanistan Team News

Sri Lankan coach Chris Silverwood called it the best template as his side dominated in all departments. Afghanistan will be sweating on the availability of Rashid Khan who could be the difference for them.

Sri Lanka have won 5 of their last 8 home matches (ODIs)

Ibrahim Zadran has scored 50s in 4 of his 5 matches played in Sri Lanka (ODIs)
Wanindu Hasaranga has been Sri Lanka’s highest wicket-taker – joint or alone – in 4 of his 5 ODIs in Hambantota (ODIs)
Rashid Khan has taken at least 2 wickets in 3 of his last 4 bowling innings against Sri Lanka (ODIs)

Head to Head

Sri Lanka have taken a 5-3 lead in the head-to-head roster with one match ending as no result.

Sri Lanka Form

Sri Lanka stormed back into the series with a 132-run win on Sunday. It was a collective effort with the bat that gave them 323 for 6. Fifties for Kusal Mendis (78) and Dimuth Karunaratne (52) were complimented by twin 40s.

The visitors never threated to chase the score down despite a couple of fifties from their top-order batters. In the end, spin twins Wanindu Hasaranga and Dhananjaya de Silva took three wickets each to hasten the end.

It was a near-perfect performance from the hosts but they looked set with their team composition, for a change.

Sri Lanka Team News

Dasun Shanaka wasn’t sure if the selectors would make any changes, but indicated that he would want Chameera to keep playing. Kasun Rajitha may be rested.

Afghanistan Form

Afghanistan couldn’t follow up their impressive first match performance, scrambling for impact in all departments. Fareed Ahmad and Mohammad Nabi took two wickets each while the rest struggled.

Ibrahim Zadran scored yet another fifty in Sri Lanka extending his purple patch while captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was also amongst runs.

The concern for Afghanistan is that they aren’t tuned to chasing big scores especially with the top-order not known for power hitting in the ODIs.

Afghanistan Team News

The return of Rashid Khan is the biggest talking point with captain Shahidi indicating in the post-match presentation that the leg-spinner would play in the final ODI.

Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan FAQs

Where can I watch the Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan live stream?

Our live streaming calendar shows you where to watch the Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan live stream.

What time does Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan start?

This Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan ODI III is being played at the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota on June 7, Wednesday at 10:00am IST.

Verdict

Sri Lanka are favourites to win the match but their inconsistencies prove to be a hurdle in backing them. The Islanders will depend once again on their spin bowlers to do the job while the top-order will look to score enough runs.

The odds on a Sri Lankan win are hovering around 1.44 which is tempting enough to back them. Yet, the inconsistent displays force me to stay away from the win market. I am once again dipping into the individual market with Hasaranga and Rashid my picks for being the best bowlers of the day for their teams respectively.