Afghanistan bat first in third ODI against Sri Lanka

Afghanistan opted to bat first in the third and final one-day international against Sri Lanka at Pallekele on Wednesday, with the hosts holding an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

Sri Lanka secured a comfortable 42-run win over Afghanistan in the first ODI, and a convincing 155-run win in the second.

Sri Lanka rested spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana and brought in off-spinner Akila Dananjaya and all-rounder Dunith Wellalage.

Dananjaya is making a comeback to the Sri Lankan side, having last played in 2021.

Afghanistan made two changes to the side that lost the second game, by leaving out Gulbadin Naib and Noor Ahmad.

They brought in left-arm seamer Fareed Ahmad and left-arm spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf.

Sri Lanka: Kusal Mendis (capt and wk), Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Akila Dananjaya, Dilshan Madushanka, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan

Afghanistan: Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Alikhil, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Rahmat Shah, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Qais Ahmad

Umpires: Alex Wharf (ENG) and Raveendra Wimalasiri (SRI)

Third Umpire: Michael Gough (ENG)

Match Referee: Chris Broad (ENG)

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AFP

(NAMPA / AFP)