Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club is all set to host the SL vs AFG one-off Test from February 2-6, 2023. The Test match kickstarts a series that delves into white-ball series as well. Meanwhile, the focus is all on the first Test ever between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan will be led by Hasmatullah Shahidi. They have named a 16-member squad for the only Test. Afghanistan have handed maiden call-ups to right-arm quick Naveed Zadran and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Ishaq. Uncapped batter Noor Ali Zadran and left-arm spinner Zia-ur-Rehman were also named in the 16-man squad for the Colombo Test.
Sri Lanka will be their new Test skipper Dhahnanjaya de Silva. They have played two games in this cycle and lost two against Pakistan. This Tets is not a part of the WTC 2023-25 cycle. Their next Test match part of the Championship will be against England in England in August-September later this year.
The Lankan management has named an experienced squad recalling their veterans Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, and Dimuth Karunaratne. Their bowling will be controlled by pace brothers Viswa and Ajitha Fernando and Kasun Rajitha. Prabath Jayasuriya is expected to be the lead spinner.
Afghanistan recently defeated Sri Lanka in the ODI World Cup. Thus there is an added incentive for the Lankans to avenge their defeat playing against the Afghans in home conditions. Sri Lanka finished ninth on the points table with just two wins and seven losses.
Afghanistan who are still newbies in Test cricket are yet to win a Test match. They have played seven in total since gaining Test status in 2018. Playing in difficult conditions with the pitch expected to turn and bounce they will need their batters to withstand the pressure from the Lankan bowlers.
The white-ball format consisting of three ODIs and three T20Is is expected to be a much more closely contested series between the two teams. Meanwhile, for Afghanistan, the absence of Rashid Khan from the Tets match is a big concern. He is still recovering from his lower back injury and missed the T20I series against India as well. He is not playing in any of the T20 leagues as well opting out from the SA20, ILT20, and the BBL.
ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf has welcomed the Sri Lankan Cricket Board to play the one-off Test match against Afghanistan. The Afghans are expected to play a few Test matches this year with the one against Sri Lanka kicking off their campaign. The Interim Chief Selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil gave a glimpse of their 10-day conditioning camp in Abu Dhabi as part of preparations for the Test match.
SL vs AFG Weather Report Live Today And Pitch Report Of Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo Stadium – Only Test, 2024
Colombo plays host to the SL vs AFG Only Test match from February 2-6. The Test match starts at 10 am IST. The weather forecast for the Test match unfortunately does not look good. There is rain forecast virtually on all five days.
Speaking about the Colombo pitch, there is always a turn at this venue. The average first innings score is close to 350 which drops as the Test match progresses. Sri Lanka scored 765 back in 2006 against South Africa which remains the top-score at this venue.
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