Averting what could have been an another upset in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Sri Lankan bowlers stepped up to salvage pride for their team as they succeeded in wrapping up minnows Afghanistan for 152 runs in 32.4 overs to set up a 34-run victory in the rain-affected clash at the Sophia Gardens here on Tuesday.
Nuwan Pradeep (4/34) and Lasith Malinga (3/39) rose to the occasion, helping Sri Lnka defend a revised meagre 187-run target in the given 41 overs. Apart for them, Isuru Udana and Thisara Perera picked a wicket apiece.
Chasing the revised target based on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, Mohammad Shahzad (7) and Hazratullah Zazai (30) started cautiously with their score looking decent at 29 for no loss in first four overs before Malinga packed back the former four balls later.