Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan: Three areas where Afghanistan players need to improve to steer clear of ODI series whitewash

The Afghanistan Cricket Team came to Sri Lanka with expectations to play fearlessly but in reality, the Lankans got them fair and square in their gunsight. The tour kick-started with the solitary Test, which ended in favour of the hosts as they won the game by 10 wickets in Colombo.

When the action shifted to the ODI series, both teams fought really hard in the opener. However, the hosts had the last laugh in the battle as they won by 42 runs. As far as the second game is concerned, the Afghans seemingly lost at sea as they couldn’t keep up with the hosts.

The home side pulled off a humongous 155-run win and are just a win away from inflicting a 3-0 clean sweep on the tourists. The Afghans need to fire the cylinders to avoid ignominy in the dead rubber. The third and final ODI will kick off on February 14 in Pallekele.

1. Afghanistan Middle-order

The Afghanistan players need to tighten up the screws and fix the leaks in the middle-order to stake a claim for a huge possibility of adding flesh to the team’s scoreboard. The tourists struggled to dictate terms in the middle-order in the second ODI, a deficit that saw them lose the plot in the run-chase.

Even the Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi lamented his team’s lack of intensity in the middle order in the second ODI. If they are to pull off a win, they will have to be clinical and take the chances else the whitewash is on the cards.

2. Afghanistan's Fielding

The visitors came under fire for their terrible fielding performances. Their fielding standards weren’t up to the mark as they dropped four regulation catches, which they failed to tick the boxes where it mattered the most, which saw them lose momentum in the second ODI.

Catching is essential in cricket for several reasons, each significantly impacting the game's outcome and the Afghans paid the price for their sub-standard efforts.

3. Afghanistan Bowling

The bowlers just need to exploit the weaknesses of the Sri Lankan batters by bowling in the right areas. The Afghanistan bowlers conceded too many runs in the first two games and they need to sort out the woes in the hope of keeping the batters in check.

It is absolutely vital for the bowlers to identify and target the right areas. These are the critical aspects which not only help them lead to dismissals but might also show them the light at the end of the tunnel.