Called out first ODI Sri lanka ns Zimbabwe

2024.01.07

After the first ODI is rained out, Asalanka and Madushanka put Sri Lanka ahead.

After 54 overs of cricket, Sri Lanka had the upper hand over Zimbabwe thanks to brilliant century from Charith Asalanka and a double-wicket maiden from Dilshan Madushanka. However, the first ODI ended in a draw due to heavy evening rain in Colombo.

Four overs into the chase, rain finally arrived after threatening all afternoon. At that moment, Madushanka’s new-ball spell had just removed Tinashe Kamunhukamwe and Craig Ervine for ducks, leaving Zimbabwe reeling at 12 for 2, needing 274 to win.

However, Asalanka’s innings of 95 off of balls was the most impressive of the day due to his patience as well as his ability to make good shots. Because hitters were consistently circling him and no genuine relationships were developing, Asalanka had to slow down and control his aggression until he finally felt that the time had arrived.

With 13 overs remaining, he was on 52 when No. 8 Maheesh Theekshana joined him. By deftly rotating the strike and selecting the perfect balls to attack, he and Theekshana went on to form a partnership of 23 and 52, respectively. During that time, Asalanka hit all four of his sixes and led Sri Lanka to a respectable 273 for 9.

Zimbabwe’s spinners and left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava made an impression before Asalanka took the stage. Using the new ball, Ngarava exploited the annoying off-stump channel, accounting for a duck from Avishka Fernando and a 41 from Sadeera Samarawickrama.

On his ODI debut, offspinner Tapiwa Mufudza, who finished his ten-over performance with none for 37, found turn throughout the day. Tapiwa Mufudza was the best wicket-taker in Zimbabwe’s recent Pro50 competition. Sikandar Raza took 1 for 41 after bowling Theekshana with an arm ball and dominating the middle overs. Raza’s powerful shot, which resulted in Kusal Mendis being out for 46, was also essential in forcing Sri Lanka to back down on a pitch that had initially offered large runs.

Gratitude Muzarabani used his height to push Sri Lanka’s lower-order hitters and add dots during a good stint that saw him end with 2 for 62. Despite Faraz Akram’s misfiring medium-pace in his ODI debut, he managed to send back fellow rookies Janith Liyanage (24) and Sahan Arachchige (11) against the flow of play to prevent Sri Lanka from winning the match.

Ryan Burl was employed as a stand-in bowler since several of Zimbabwe’s bowlers were finding it difficult to handle the circumstances. However, his 3.2 overs went for 32, and Asalanka took advantage of the last-minute opportunity before getting run-out in the last over in an attempt to resume their attack.

Match Summery

Match abandonedSri Lanka 273 for 8 (Asalanka 101, Mendis 46, Samarawickrama 41, Ngarava 2-39, Akram 2-58, Muzarabani 2-62) vs Zimbabwe 12 for 2 (Madushanka 2-0)

@charrith