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.

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.

Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva added 99 runs for the fifth wicket•AFP through Getty Images

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.

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