Afghanistan loses the ODI series against Sri Lanka.

2024.02.13

Afghanistan and Sri Lanka played a two-day encounter, with the former winning by 155 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

At the game that began this evening (11) at Pallekele Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis chose to bat first after winning the toss.

There was just one difference between the two teams going into this game.

Today (11), Asita Fernando, who had been injured during the first one-day match, was called up to the Sri Lankan squad, while spinner Qais Ahmad was called up to the Afghan team, replacing fast bowler Fareed Ahmad Malik, who had featured for Afghanistan in the previous game.

The Afghan spinners prevented Pathum Nissankata and Avishka Fernando from scoring comfortably, unlike in the previous game, when they came onto the field to begin the Sri Lankan batting.

By the ninth delivery of the innings, Azmatullah Omarzai and Fazalhaq Farooqi had both the openers back in the stadium. Even at that point, Sri Lanka’s innings had only managed 36 runs.Following that, the innings of captain Kusal Mendis and new wicketkeeper Sadira Samarawickrama began slowly at first but picked up speed as the field calmed down.

For the third wicket of the innings, they each managed to hit 103 runs off of 113 balls and achieve half century.

When the score was 147 in the innings, the Afghan bowlers who had been activated again succeeded in sending both of them back to the stadium.

For the fifth wicket of the innings, Charith and Janith combined to put up a partnership of 111 runs off of just 98 balls.

After Janith, who amassed 50 runs from 48 balls, was removed as the fifth wicket of the innings, Vanindu Hasaranga joined Charith at the wicket.

For the sixth wicket, Hasaranga and Charith scored 50 runs off of 34 balls, with Hasaranga scoring 14 of those runs.

Charith Asanka smashed two stunning sixes and nine fours with his bat to help him collect 97 runs off 74 balls and conclude the innings undefeated.

After adding 96 runs in the final 10 overs, the Sri Lankan batters challenged Afghanistan to more than 300 runs for the second time in a row. Azmatullah Omarzai, who took three wickets, emerged as the Afghanistan team’s most effective bowler.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, the regular opening duo from Afghanistan, took to the field to try and chase the massive target from Sri Lanka, but Gurbaz was unable to make an impact today. At the end of the innings, with 31 runs scored, Asita Fernando got rid of Gurbaz.

Rahmat Shah, who had joined Zadran at the wicket, was able to create a 97-run partnership for the Afghan second wicket following that. They paid 121 balls for this, and initially it appeared that Sri Lanka would be seriously threatened by this alliance. When Asitha Fernando was able to intentionally disrupt this partnership, which Sri Lanka had started without giving them easy opportunities to take wickets, the entire character of the contest shifted.

When the innings stood at 143 runs, Asitha removed Ibrahim Zadran for 54 runs, and Vanindu Hasaranga removed Rahmat Shah for 63 runs.

After then, no Afghan batsman who came onto the field was able to score more than ten runs. In 4 overs and 5 deliveries, the Sri Lankan bowlers conceded just 10 runs, destroying the final 7 wickets of the Afghan innings.

Here, Dilshan Madushanka and Asita shared two wickets while Vanindu Hasaranga, who was effective in bowling for Sri Lanka, claimed four wickets for 27 runs.

With one more game to go, Sri Lanka was able to win the three-match one-day cricket series after defeating Afghanistan by 155 runs in the second one-day match.

Charith Asalanka was named man of the match for his outstanding innings, in which he scored an undefeated 97 runs.

Sri Lanka 308 for 6 (Asalanka 97*, Mendis 61, Omarzai 3-56) beat Afghanistan 153 (Rahmat 63, Ibrahim 54, Hasaranga 4-27) by 155 runs

@charith