What a nail-biter Sri Lanka held their nerves to win the match just by 2 runs as they are now officially qualified for the Super Four Stage. Heartbreak for Afghanistan as Sri Lanka‘s all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva bowled an epic final over.
Dunith Wellalage the all-rounder picked up 2 wickets which turned out to be a game-changing moment after his cameo with the bat. Huge credit to Rajitha for picking 4 vital wickets especially Najibullah Zadran in the crush situation.
Sri Lankan openers got off to a blistering start after electing to bat first as they capitalized on the errors made by the Afghan bowlers they missed their line and length and bowled to the strength of the Lankan batsman.
GULBADIN NAIB MAGICAL SPELL
Gulbadin Naib strikes right after the power play as Dimuth Karunaratne departs after an excellent opening stand with Pathum Nissanka. He tried to check his shot but the ball went straight to Nabi
Gulbadin Naib grabbed his second wicket in the 17 over after bowling 4 dot balls Samarawickrama nicked the 5th ball behind for a catch. He picked his third wicket in the next over and he took his final wicket in the final over of the innings to finish with 4 for 60 in his 10. Rashid is the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 60 among the Afghanistan spinners.
As the spin bowling trio of Mujeeb, Nabi, and Rashid gave away 158 and picked up 3 wickets.
KUSAL MENDIS MISSES TON BY A WHISKER
Kusal Mendis is the star with the bat for Sri Lanka as he took the attack to the bowlers, especially to the spinners
As he takes it to Rashid with a hattrick of boundaries in the 27 over and continues his hitting as he hits Fazalhaq Farooqi and Jannat for a couple of boundaries and a six
Rashid was lucky in the next over as the bowler dropped a return catch and hit the non-striker’s stumps The replays show Mendis’s bat was in the air when the bails were off. Very, unfortunate way to get out on 92.
Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana anchored the innings at the death as Sri Lanka posted 291/8 in their 50 overs.
MOHAMMAD NABI ON FIRE
Mohammad Nabi is on fire as he rescues his team out of trouble and plays in the 5th gear he whacked Sri Lanka’s left arm off-spinner Wellalage for a six in the next over coming to the crease continues his hard-hitting approach as he reaches the fastest fifty in a one-day international in just 28 balls.
He was well supported by the skipper Shahidi who also scored a well-made fifty Both complemented each other well by rotating the strike Nabi almost single handedly won the match for Afghanistan but Maheesh Theekshana bowled cleverly by bowling wide Nabi was going for a big shot but didn’t have any power in it as he found the fielder before the boundary line. After scoring 65 off 32 with 6 fours and 5 sixes
Rashid Khan played a binder at the death with the cameo of 27 off 16 with 4 fours and a six Janat also hit 22 of 13 with 1 four and 2 sixes yet so near so far for Afghanistan.