Sri Lanka clinched a comfortable victory by 42 runs against Afghanistan in the first ODI of the three-match series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Friday, February 9. Sri Lanka rode on Pathum Nissanka's maiden and historic double century to post a formidable total of 381/3. In reply, Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai staged a brave fightback for Afghanistan by belting stunning centuries each but failed to win it for their team after Sri Lanka restricted them for 339/6.
How the match unfolded?
Talking about the match, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss on a docile pitch in Pallekele and elected to field first. However, his decision backfired significantly as the Sri Lankan opening pair of Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando forged an imposing partnership of 182 runs in just 27 overs.
Avishka Fernando's brisk 88
Avishka Fernando contributed with a brisk 88 off as many balls before being dismissed by Fareed Ahmad, attempting to find the boundary through the point region, only to be caught sharply by Ibrahim Zadran.
Nissanka's fury
Although captain Kusal Mendis struggled during his brief knock of 16 runs off 31 balls, Sri Lanka maintained the momentum, courtesy of a batting onslaught from Pathum Nissanka, who had already surpassed the century mark by then.
Pathum Nissanka then formed a 120-run partnership for the third wicket with Dasun Shanaka, and eventually went on to achieve his double century in the final few overs of the Sri Lankan innings.
Afghanistan's pursuit of a 382-run target got off to a rocky start, with the loss of five top-order wickets for just 55 runs within nine overs, as a result of impressive spells from Sri Lankan fast bowlers Pramod Madhushan and Dushmantha Chameera during the initial powerplay. However, a remarkable partnership of 242 runs for the sixth wicket between Azmatullah Omarzai and veteran Mohammad Nabi ensued, with both right-handed batsmen reaching their centuries.
Despite their efforts to revive Afghanistan's chances in the match, Sri Lanka managed to contain them to a total of 339/6 within their allotted overs, securing a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.
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