Pathum Nissanka belted another century to power Sri Lanka to a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the third ODI and a 3-0 sweep over Afghanistan in the three-match series Wednesday, February 14.
How the match unfolded?
Winning the toss, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi opted to bat first. However, his team faltered and was dismissed for 266 runs with nine deliveries remaining in their innings at Pallekele. In response, Sri Lanka chased down the target with ease, reaching 267/3 with 14 overs and four deliveries to spare.
Nissanka rocks again
Pathum Nissanka, who previously scored an unbeaten 210 in the first match, thereby becoming the first Sri Lankan to achieve a double century in one-day international cricket, contributed 117 runs off 101 deliveries in this game, including two sixes and 16 boundaries. He also secured the distinction of being the fastest Sri Lankan to reach 2,000 runs in the format, achieving the feat in his 52nd match.
Avishka Fernando's perfect 91
His opening companion, Avishka Fernando, hammered 91 runs off a mere 66 balls, showcasing his prowess with five sixes and 10 boundaries.
Nissanka amassed a total of 346 runs across the three matches and was rightfully awarded the player of the match as well as the series. This marked the highest run tally for a Sri Lankan in a three-match one-day series.
Together, Nissanka and Fernando formed a formidable partnership, accumulating 173 runs in 23 overs. Their aggressive batting style left Afghan bowlers struggling to find rhythm and prevented them from setting up attacking fields.
Fernando fell agonizingly short of a century when he mistimed a shot off leg-spinner Qais Ahmed, finding Sharafuddin Ashraf stationed at short extra-cover.
While Sri Lankan captain Kusal Mendis contributed 40 runs, Nissanka remained at the crease until the end, eventually succumbing to Ahmed's delivery (2-46), skying it to Mohammad Nabi.
Nonetheless, Afghanistan's late wickets proved inconsequential as the opening batsmen had already secured a convincing victory for the hosts.
Afghanistan's aweful start
Earlier, Afghanistan's opening batter made a blazing start, accumulating 39 runs by the middle of the fourth over. However, their momentum was abruptly halted by a superb direct hit from Fernando, resulting in the run-out of Ibrahim Zadran (13). Following the dismissal of the openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah steadied the innings with a 57-run partnership for the second wicket. Gurbaz, batting on 48, fell victim to an attempted sweep off-spinner by Akila Dananjaya, only to see the ball crash into his exposed leg stump.
Dananjaya then deceived Afghan captain Shahidi (5) with a flighted googly, leading to a low catch at slip taken by Nissanka.
Shah contributed a commendable 65 runs before being dismissed lbw by left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage. Azmatukkah Omarzai (52) also laid a solid foundation but failed to convert it into a substantial score on a batting-friendly pitch.
Afghanistan seemed well-placed at 223 in the 40th over, poised for a significant total. However, they faltered in the latter part of their innings, losing their last six wickets for just 43 runs.
Seamer Pramod Madushan impressed with figures of 3-45, while Wellalage claimed 2-38 in his 10 overs. Asitha Fernando and Dananjaya also chipped in with two wickets each. Sri Lanka secured victory in the first match by 42 runs and followed it up with a commanding 155-run win in the second encounter.
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