48.2 overs Afghanistan 266 (Rahmat 65, Omarzai 54, Madushan 3-45) vs Sri Lanka(*6*)
Other than Dilshan Madushanka – whose wicketless spell of six overs for 52 runs mirrored the shortage of swing on provide – none of Sri Lanka’s different six bowlers used went for greater than six an over.
In all it proved to be a irritating outing for the Afghan batters, who have been unable to construct on Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s early aggression. When Gurbaz struck Madushanka for 4 consecutive boundaries within the first over of the match, it appeared that Afghanistan have been set to make amends for their poor batting effort within the final recreation. Sri Lanka nonetheless reeled within the guests effectively, with simply 65 runs allowed within the opening powerplay.
Wellalage and Madushan impressed throughout this era, making a gift of simply 23 runs between them, and in flip made up for Madushanka’s uncharacteristic lack of management. The bowlers have been additionally aided by some stable floor fielding, highlighted by Avishka Fernando’s wonderful pick-up and throw to run out Ibrahim Zadran – a drop within the slips by Charith Asalanka the very subsequent ball off Gurbaz was a uncommon error within the discipline.
Afghan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi had spoken earlier than the match concerning the want to placed on extra partnerships, and on this respect Afghanistan delivered. Following a gap stand of 39, there have been partnerships of 57, 58 and 57 for the second, fourth and fifth wickets respectively. The place they faltered nonetheless was in capitalising on these platforms.
Gurbaz, regardless of his quick begin, was not ready to sustain his scoring fee and fell sweeping – bowled round his legs – for an finally laboured 48 off 57. Shahidi adopted shortly after, edging a Dananjaya googly to slip.
This introduced Rahmat and Omarzai collectively and the pair sought to rebuild. Between the twentieth and thirtieth overs they scored at a hair beneath run-a-ball to preserve the scoring fee touching six an over, however simply as they could have been wanting to speed up Rahmat was trapped leg earlier than wanting to sweep Wellalage.
Whereas this didn’t halt Afghanistan, it did delay any potential interval of acceleration. Omarzai and Ikram Alikhil proceeded to placed on the third fifty-plus stand of the innings between the thirtieth and fortieth overs, however then as soon as extra simply as Afghanistan have been on the cusp of upping the ante Sri Lanka struck. Alikhil was stunned by a Wellalage supply that ripped again in from huge outdoors off to clip the surface of off stump.
From this level on Sri Lanka barely gave the opposition a sniff, with simply 42 runs given away from the fortieth over onwards. Madushan, Asitha and Dananjaya loomed massive on this interval, with the 2 quick bowlers sharing the final 5 wickets between them to shut out the Afghan innings.
