On Thursday, June 11, India A will lock horns against Afghanistan A for the 2nd match of Tri-Nation A series held in Sri Lanka. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side are off to a great start as they registered an 8-run win against the hosts in the opening match.
In the first match, India lost early wickets, including star boy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. However, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad slammed a century while his deputy also led by example with a fifty. India A eventually put 277 runs on the board.
In reply, Sri Lanka tumbled for 269 runs, courtesy of an all-round bowling effort from the Indians. Now, the caravan has moved to the 2nd match, but the venue remains the same. Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium will host the 2nd match straight, and this article will look at the pitch and weather update for India A vs Afghanistan A match.
Dambulla Stadium Pitch Report For IND-A Vs AFG-A
Criterion
Data
Matches
57
Won batting first
25
Won batting second
29
Draw/NR
3
Avg first innings score
217
Avg second innings score
169.81
Avg run rate
4.65
% of wickets by pacers
62.8
% of wickets by spinners
37.2
(Dambulla Stadium ODI stats, Credit: Statsguru)
Dambulla is not a high-scoring venue. As the above mentioned data shows, the average score batting first at this venue is just 217 runs. Further, the batting second, finds it more difficult at thie venue because the spinners come into play effectively.
Team, batting first have won 25 matches, while the team, batting second have won 29 games at the Dambulla Stadium. Talking about how the surface will act, then the pacers will have a say because they will have the swing when the ball will be new.
Once the ball gets old, then the spinners come into play. The ball will grip and help the bowlers, making it further difficult for the batters.
The weather is not looking optimistic for India A vs Afghanistan A match. There is 70% prediction of rain according to Accuweather. Further, there is 97% cloud cover, which means that there could be several interruptions because of rain.
The temperature will be around 27°C, but it is the rain that will pose a threat to the India A vs Afghanistan A match.
To conclude, it can be a frustrating watch if the rain pours but if there is no rain, but it will be apt weather for both teams.
Conclusion
There will be a total of 7 matches in this tri-series and if India win this match, then they will nearly book their place in the final. However, toss will play a crucial factor in the India vs Afghanistan match.
The team that wins the coin flip, would look to bowl first, because of overcast conditions. Hence, the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led would look to do the same. For Afghanistan, their strength lies in batting first and the fans shouldn't be surprised if the Afghans opt to bat first.
Dambulla Weather Update - (Source: AFP)
