Afghanistan’s Seamers Dominate as they Secure Victory against Sri Lanka in ODI Clash
In an ODI clash between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, Afghanistan emerged victorious with a dominant display from their seamers. Opting to bowl first, Afghanistan’s bowlers made early inroads and restricted Sri Lanka to a modest total. In the chase, Afghanistan’s top order cruised to the target with ease, losing only four wickets in the process.
The highlight of the match was the impressive batting performance by opener Ibrahim Zadran. Known for his exceptional record in Sri Lanka, Ibrahim played a crucial role in Afghanistan’s victory. He scored a brilliant 98 runs and formed a solid partnership of 146 runs with Rahmat Shah, which kept the chase on track. Sri Lanka’s bowling attack struggled to create any significant impact against the determined Afghan batsmen.
Sri Lanka, missing key players such as Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, and Wanindu Hasaranga, faced a defeat that reinforced the notion of their participation in the Qualifiers to secure a spot in the 2023 ODI World Cup. On the other hand, Afghanistan, who have already qualified for the tournament, showed their dominance despite not playing an ODI since their previous tour to Sri Lanka.
The match started favorably for Afghanistan as seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi made early breakthroughs by dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis in the first nine overs. Sri Lanka’s batting line-up struggled to recover from the early blows and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Although Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva played well and scored fifties, the damage done by Afghanistan’s bowlers in the early stages restricted Sri Lanka’s progress. They could only manage to post a total of 269, falling short of what they could have achieved.
In the chase, Ibrahim’s innings was smooth and steady. He played some excellent shots, including two sixes off Matheesha Pathirana, and reached his half-century off just 35 balls. Despite losing Rahmanullah Gurbaz early in the innings, Ibrahim found a reliable partner in Rahmat, who played a composed innings. Rahmat’s disciplined approach helped him reach his fifty off 75 balls, providing stability to the chase.
At no point did Afghanistan’s run rate dip below the required rate, thanks to Ibrahim’s aggressive strokeplay and Rahmat’s calculated innings. Ibrahim fell just two runs short of a well-deserved century after miscuing a pull shot, but by that time, Afghanistan needed only 58 runs off 78 deliveries with seven wickets in hand. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi and Mohammad Nabi ensured there were no complications in the end, guiding Afghanistan to a comfortable victory.
For Sri Lanka, it was a disappointing performance, especially from their bowling attack. The decision to experiment with new bowlers did not yield positive results as they struggled to contain the Afghan batsmen. Debuts for Dushan Hemantha and Matheesha Pathirana did not go as planned, and Sri Lanka’s depth-building efforts were exposed.
In addition to the defeat, Sri Lanka faced another setback as Lahiru Kumara had to leave the field due to a potential hamstring injury. With the Qualifiers approaching in Zimbabwe, Kumara’s absence could have significant implications for the Sri Lankan team.