A complete team performance led Sri Lanka to clinch the 3-match series with a game to spare after their massive 155-run win over Afghanistan in the second ODI played today at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy.
After winning the toss, skipper Kusal Mendis decided to bat first as Sri Lanka brought Asitha Fernando for Dushmantha Chameera who missed out with a quadriceps injury which suffered during the first game. Afghanistan though also made one change, replacing leg spinner Qais Ahmad for Fareed Ahmad Malik.
Sri Lanka Playing XI: Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis (c/w), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Pramod Madushan, Asitha Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka
Afghanistan Playing XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (w), Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Qais Ahmad, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi
Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando added 182 runs on the other day, but Sri Lanka lost both of them today inside the first 10 overs. Azmatullah Omarzai who was given the new ball, trapped the previous game double-centurion for 18 which was one run shy of the team score.
Fernando really struggled to get going as Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed him for 5 off 23 balls, leaving the hosts at 36/2. Sri Lanka finished batting powerplay at 40/2 with the skipper Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama at the crease.
The duo went on to register their respective half-centuries and rebuilt the innings with a superb 103-run partnership for the 3rd wicket. Mendis was the first to reach fifty, claiming his 28th in ODIs while Samarawickrama got to his 8th in this format.
The visitors pulled things back when they dismissed both set batters in space of 8 deliveries as Qais Ahmad removed Samarawickrama for 52 before Omarzai got rid of the Sri Lanka captain for 61.
However, Charith Asalanka and Janith Liyanage revived the innings with another century stand for the 5th wicket off just 96 balls. Liyanage brought up his 2nd ODI half-century with a six hoisting back over the bowler’s head before holding out the very next delivery off Noor Ahmad.
- Photos – Afghanistan tour of Sri Lanka 2024 – 2nd ODI
- Sri Lanka go 1-0 up after Nissanka masterclass
- Shanaka dropped; Karunaratne recalled for Afghanistan ODIs
Asalanka accelerated his innings brilliantly after reaching his 11th fifty and produced some finishing touches for the islanders. He along with Wanindu Hasaranga added quick-fire 50 runs for the 6th wicket in just 5.1 overs to close out the innings.
Unfortunately, he was not able to reach the three-figure mark after hitting two successive boundaries in the final over which moved his score to 96 with two balls remaining.
Sri Lanka accumulated 96 runs in the final 10 overs to finish on 308/6 with Hasaranga getting dismissed in the final ball while the stylish southpaw smashed an unbeaten 97 with a strike rate of 131.08 and his blistering knock consisted of 9 fours & 2 sixes.
Omarzai, who was the pick of the bowling department, grabbed 3 wickets for 56 runs while Noor, Qais and Farooqi shared the other 3 wickets to fall.
The opening stand between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran was reduced to 31 as Asitha Fernando struck off his very first ball to dismiss Gurbaz courtesy a stunning one-handed grab by skipper Mendis behind the stumps.
Zadran joined Rahmat Shah to steady the ship for Afghanistan with a 97-run stand which made few problems for Sri Lanka at that stage with scoring runs quite easily. During this period, both of them notched up their fifties, but once again Fernando who did the trick for the hosts when he dismissed Zadran for a well-made 54.
Soon after, Hasaranga trapped well-set Rahmat Shah for 63 leaving the visitors at 148/3. From then onwards, it was Sri Lankan bowlers who were all over the Afghan batting order like a rush which saw the visitors were eventually bowled out for 153 in 33.5 overs.
As a result, the hosts sealed the three-match series with another game to go by a huge margin of 155 runs in the second game. Hasaranga was the star with the ball as he claimed 4/27 in 6.5 overs. Apart from him, Fernando and Madushanka each bagged a couple of wickets.
Vice-captain Charith Asalanka named player of the match for his superb knock as the islanders will look for a clean sweep in the ODI series when they take on Afghanistan in the third and final ODI on the 14th of February at the same venue.
Result
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathum Nissanka | lbw b Azmatullah Omarzai | 18 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 105.88 |
| Avishka Fernando | c Gulbadin Naib b Fazal Haq Farooqi | 5 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 21.74 |
| Kusal Mendis | c Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Azmatullah Omarzai | 61 | 65 | 6 | 1 | 93.85 |
| Sadeera Samarawickrama | c Mohammad Nabi b Qais Ahmed | 52 | 61 | 3 | 0 | 85.25 |
| Charith Asalanka | not out | 97 | 74 | 9 | 2 | 131.08 |
| Janith Liyanage | c Rahmat Shah b Noor Ahmad | 50 | 48 | 2 | 2 | 104.17 |
| Wanidu Hasaranga | c Ibrahim Zadran b Azmatullah Omarzai | 14 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 107.69 |
| Extras | 11 (b 0 , lb 2 , nb 1, w 8, pen 0) |
| Total | 308/6 (50 Overs, RR: 6.16) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fazal Haq Farooqi | 10 | 1 | 55 | 1 | 5.50 | |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 10 | 0 | 56 | 3 | 5.60 | |
| Mohammad Nabi | 10 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 3.80 | |
| Gulbadin Naib | 5 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 9.60 | |
| Noor Ahmad | 8 | 0 | 54 | 1 | 6.75 | |
| Qais Ahmed | 7 | 0 | 55 | 1 | 7.86 | |
| Batsmen | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | c Kusal Mendis b Asitha Fernando | 8 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | c Kusal Mendis b Asitha Fernando | 54 | 76 | 6 | 0 | 71.05 |
| Rahmat Shah | lbw b Wanidu Hasaranga | 63 | 69 | 7 | 0 | 91.30 |
| Hashmatullah Shahidi | b Wanidu Hasaranga | 9 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | b Pramod Madushan | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Mohammad Nabi | lbw b Wanidu Hasaranga | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Ikram Alikhil | run out (Kusal Mendis) | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 400.00 |
| Gulbadin Naib | lbw b Wanidu Hasaranga | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Qais Ahmed | c Pathum Nissanka b Pramod Madushan | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Noor Ahmad | lbw b Pramod Madushan | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Fazal Haq Farooqi | not out | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Extras | 10 (b 0 , lb 0 , nb 0, w 10, pen 0) |
| Total | 153/10 (33.5 Overs, RR: 4.52) |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dilshan Madushanka | 7 | 1 | 28 | 2 | 4.00 | |
| Pramod Madushan | 6 | 0 | 37 | 1 | 6.17 | |
| Asitha Fernando | 6 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 3.83 | |
| Maheesh Theekshana | 6 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 4.17 | |
| Janith Liyanage | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 6.50 | |
| Wanidu Hasaranga | 6.5 | 0 | 27 | 4 | 4.15 | |
