Cricket Highlights, 25 Nov: SL vs AFG (1st ODI)

SL vs AFG (1st ODI) – Highlights

In the 1st match of the three-match series, the visiting Afghanistan secured a big win by 60 runs against the hosts Sri Lanka. After winning the toss and batting first, the visitors got a big collection of 294 runs after losing 8 wickets in the scheduled 50 overs courtesy of Ibrahim Zadran’s century. In reply, the Lankans’ innings stopped at 234 runs in 38 overs.

As a result, Afghanistan won by 60 runs in Pallekele and took a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series. This is Afghanistan’s second ODI win against Sri Lanka, the last one came in 2018.

After going down to chase the target, the fight got intense between Wanindu Hasaranga and Afghanistan. When Hasaranga came in at number seven for Sri Lanka, the hosts lost the fifth wicket and their score was 137 in the 24th over. Hasaranga then played a devastating innings of 66 off 46 balls, which included 10 fours and 2 sixes.

However, none of the other batsmen on the team could give him worthy company on the wicket. Hasaranga became Fazalhaq Farooqi’s fourth victim in the last ball of the 38th over as Sri Lanka was stopped at 234 runs. Before Hasaranga, opener Pathum Nissanka was Sri Lanka’s hope. Farooqi’s delivery bowled him as well, before that he scored 85 runs from 83 balls with the help of 10 boundaries.

Sri Lanka’s highest partnership in the first five wickets was 47 off 54 balls, which was made by Nissanka and captain Dasun Shanaka for the fifth wicket. Nissanka and Hasaranga added 31 runs for the sixth wicket. After Nissanka’s 85 and Hasaranga’s 66 runs, Dhananjaya de Silva and captain Shanaka’s innings of 16 runs were the third-highest in the Sri Lankan innings.

Two Afghan pacers Farooqi and Gulbadin Naib did the main damage to the hosts. Sri Lanka lost 7 wickets to score 83 runs in 17 overs assembled by these two. Another pacer Yamin Ahmadzai was a little scratchy, but he too took the wickets of Kusal Mendis (1) and Maheesh Theekshana (3) with 46 runs in 6 overs. Besides, spinner Rashid Khan took 1 wicket.

Before winning the toss, Afghanistan’s two openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran got off to a good start. These two made a pair of 84 runs. Gurbaz returned to the dressing room after scoring 53 runs from 55 balls in the 15th over. Rahmat Shah and Ibrahim added 118 runs to the scoreboard for the second wicket. Rahmat (52) returned to the pavilion after scoring his fifty.

Ibrahim scored 50 off 62 balls, he needed 116 balls to score a century. This is his second century in a career of 6 matches. He scored 106 off 120 balls, hitting 11 fours before being caught by Hasaranga off Theekshana. Najibullah Zadran raised a storm on the field after Ibrahim left. Coming down at number four, he scored 42 runs off 25 balls with 5 fours and 1 six. 

Afghanistan lost 4 wickets in the last 2 overs. The visitors lost 2 wickets to get 5 runs in the last over. If that didn’t happen, they could have crossed 300. However, there was no problem for the visiting Afghanistan to get a big win. All-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga took the highest number of 2 wickets for Sri Lanka. Apart from this, Kasun Rajitha, Maheesh Theekshana, Lahiru Kumara, and Dhananjaya Lakshan got 1 wicket each.

Afghan opener Ibrahim Zadran was selected as the player of the match after playing a remarkable innings of 106 runs. Tomorrow, Sri Lanka will face Afghanistan in the 2nd match of the series at the same venue at the same time in a bid to save the series.

SL vs AFG Scoreboard

Afghanistan – 294/8 (50.0)

Sri Lanka – 234/10 (38.0)

Result – Afghanistan won by 60 runs

Player of the match – Ibrahim Zadran

SL vs AFG Playing XIs