Ibrahim Zadran, seamers assist Afghanistan stroll to a snug win
Afghanistan 269 for 4 (Ibrahim 98, Rahmat 55, Shahidi 38, Rajitha 2-49) beat Sri Lanka 268 (Asalanka 91, Dhananjaya 51, Fareed 2-43, Farooqi 2-58)
Afghanistan’s seamers struck with the brand new ball, and shut Sri Lanka’s innings down on the loss of life, earlier than their high order cruised to a goal of 269, dropping solely 4 wickets within the course of.
On the batting entrance, the spotlight was the 98 produced by opener Ibrahim Zadran, whose document in Sri Lanka is excellent. He solid a 146-run second wicket stand with Rahmat Shah, which saved the chase on observe, and uncovered the shortage of venom on this Sri Lanka assault.
Sri Lanka have been with out Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, and Wanindu Hasaranga on this match. But regardless of this, it was a defeat that fortified the notion that they deserved to be going to the Qualifiers to earn their place within the 2023 ODI World Cup. Afghanistan, who’ve certified for the massive event, had not performed an ODI since they have been final in Sri Lanka, in November. And but this was primarily a simple victory for them. They ambled house with 19 balls to spare.
Early within the day, it had been seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi who first set Afghanistan on the trail to victory, dismissing Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis inside the primary 9 overs. Karunaratne had been introduced into the aspect to offer stability on the high of the innings, however he fended at a ball that seamed barely away from him within the third over, and was caught for 4 at second slip. Mendis pulled a brief ball straight to sq. leg.
From there, Sri Lanka slid additional. When Angelo Mathews was bounced out by Fareed Ahmad, they sunk to 61 for 3. Then Pathum Nissanka’s dismissal by Mujeeb Ur Rahman put them at 84 for 4. They did get better, as Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva placed on 99 collectively for the fifth wicket, as each hit fifties. But such was the harm Afghanistan’s bowlers had executed on the high of the innings, they have been unwilling to take main dangers, selecting largely to build up their method via the center overs on a slow-ish Hambantota observe.
Even so, Sri Lanka may have aimed for a complete within the vary of 280, having been 196 for five after 40 overs. But their decrease center order supplied solely stinting help to Asalanka, who went on to make 91 off 95 earlier than being run out within the ultimate over. They have been shackled via the loss of life overs, and misplaced their final 4 wickets within the forty eighth and forty ninth, ultimately being bowled out off the ultimate ball of the innings. Fareed and the spinners – Mujeeb and Noor Ahmad – have been wonderful via this stage of the innings, although Noor had been costly earlier.
In response, Ibrahim’s innings was largely frictionless. He chipped one simply in need of the purpose fielder after he’d struck Kasun Rajitha for successive fours within the seventh over, however did not face any main threats to his wicket. When Matheesha Pathirana got here on to bowl, there was a suggestion that Afghanistan may discover his motion troublesome, however Ibrahim lifted him for 2 sixes over deep sq. leg within the twelfth over. He reached fifty off simply 35 balls, although he acquired to the milestone off a thick edge.
In 4 innings in Sri Lanka now, he’d solely failed to succeed in fifty in a single innings. His two earlier half-centuries had been transformed to lots of.
While Ibrahim raced via the early overs, Rahmanullah Gurbaz had chopped one on to his stumps on 14, however Ibrahim instantly discovered a foil in Rahmat. Coming in at No.3, Rahmat flicked the primary ball he confronted for 4 via midwicket however in any other case adopted a gradual method. He collected simply 12 from his first 30 balls and shunned hitting a boundary from his subsequent 63 deliveries. He progressed largely via singles via cowl and mid-on, and acquired to his fifty off 75 balls.
At no stage did Afghanistan’s run fee dip under what was required. Ibrahim, who had hit 11 fours along with his two sixes, earlier than miscuing a pull off Rajitha two in need of 100, had ensured that. Rahmat would ultimately turn out to be Pathirana’s first worldwide wicket, when he additionally top-edged a brief ball, and supplied tremendous leg with a catch. But Afghanistan wanted solely 58 off 78 deliveries at that stage, with seven wickets in hand. They’d lose yet another batter – captain Hashmatullah Shahidi – however Mohammad Nabi was available to make sure there have been no issues ultimately.
For Sri Lanka, who seemed to be experimenting with their assault, handing debuts to Dushan Hemantha, and Pathirana, the end result was a sign that there was critical work to be executed on the depth-building entrance. Hemantha went wicketless, and Pathirana’s 8.5 overs price 66.
Worse nonetheless for Sri Lanka, Lahiru Kumara needed to go away the sphere halfway via his fifth over, with what on first sight might have been a hamstring harm. With the Qualifiers set to start in Zimbabwe in little over two weeks, his potential absence could possibly be vital.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo’s Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf