Recent Match Report – Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka Super 4 2022

Sri Lanka 179 for six (Mendis 36, Nissanka 35, Gunathilaka 33, Rajapaksa 31, Mujeeb 2-30, Naveen 2-40) beat Afghanistan 175 for six (Gurbaz 84, Ibrahim 40, Madushanka 2-36) by 4 wickets

Last Saturday, Sri Lanka have been all out for 105 in opposition to Afghanistan. Just seven days later, although, the exact same batters put in a robust all-spherical efficiency – this time batting second, out of selection – to thwart Afghanistan’s problem and full a 4-wicket win within the first match of the Super 4 spherical of the 2022 Asia Cup.

Maheesh Theekshana conceded simply eight runs off his two overs on the dying, Hasaranga went for under 23 in his 4 overs, and left-arm seamer Dilshan Madushanka took 2 for 37. Overall, it was the very best profitable T20I chase in Sharjah and, extra importantly, gave Sri Lanka two factors on the Super 4 desk.

For Afghanistan, it was a primary T20I loss after posting a 170-plus whole. They will now need to recuperate rapidly, in any other case a slide is a sensible chance with fixtures in opposition to India and Pakistan to observe. Rashid Khan went for 39, no different batter aside from Gurbaz appeared fluent, and the 2022 Asia Cup immediately appears very vast open.

The Gurbaz present
It was an early reprieve for Gurbaz that kickstarted the Afghanistan innings’ carry-off. After hitting his first six of the day within the third over, Gurbaz tried to repeat the identical on the following ball however ended up hitting it to lengthy-off the place Gunathilaka took the catch however stepped on the boundary skirting within the course of.

Gurbaz’s eight off 5 balls quickly turned 50 off 22 as he continued discovering boundaries, preferring the area between lengthy-on and deep midwicket most. With Hazratullah Zazai struggling to a 16-ball 12 earlier than being bowled by Madushanka, and Ibrahim Zadran, the No. 3, gradual off the blocks, it was Gurbaz’s attacking photographs that introduced up the crew fifty in 6.1 overs.

The pitch was two-paced – there was the occasional low bounce – however Gurbaz rallied on to take Afghanistan to 70 for 1 by the eighth over. But no boundary within the subsequent 4 overs introduced Sri Lanka again into the sport. Gurbaz, although, dragged the momentum again in Afghanistan’s favour by discovering sixes off Dasun Shanaka and Chamika Karunaratne in again-to-again overs, and Ibrahim joined in with just a few lusty blows of his personal down the bottom.

The Sri Lankan squeeze
Karunaratne’s 21-run 14th over meant Afghanistan entered the ultimate six overs needing solely 68 extra to achieve 200; with 9 wickets in hand, that was an actual chance. But Hasaranga gave away solely six within the fifteenth over, and Gurbaz was caught at deep midwicket within the subsequent whereas making an attempt to take Asitha Fernando on. Theekshana’s seventeenth and nineteenth overs went for a complete of eight runs, and Ibrahim fell to Madushanka, for a 38-ball 40, within the 18th.

Najibullah Zadran did smack 17 in ten balls, however his dismissal, together with the fast wickets of Mohammad Nabi and Rashid within the final two overs, meant Afghanistan might add solely 12 off the final 12 balls, and solely 43 off the final 36.

Sri Lanka’s openers placed on 62
Nissanka struggled early in opposition to Fazalhaq Farooqi – their wrecker-in-chief within the earlier outing – however Mendis was not afraid to tackle Afghanistan’s two essential spinners. His area of selection was the sq. boundary on the leg facet in opposition to each Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid, as he creamed a slog sweep over deep midwicket off the previous within the fourth over and hit two sixes off the latter within the sixth, which went for 17.

Only as soon as earlier than had Rashid conceded 17 or extra runs in his opening over in T20Is, and with Sri Lanka at 57 for no loss after the powerplay, the bottom was set for the center order to take the chase ahead.

Mendis fell for a 19-ball 36 simply after the powerplay ended, mistiming a pull off Naveen-ul-Haq to deep midwicket, which introduced the highlight on Nissanka. Nissanka appeared just like the anchor round whom the others would hit out, however he fell within the ninth over, for 35 off 28, when making an attempt to chase a Mujeeb half-tracker.

The center order steps up
With each openers out in fast succession and two new batters on the crease, Afghanistan had their tails up. Gunathilaka and Charith Asalanka have been watchful initially, and that noticed the required run price creep as much as 9.88 after 11 overs. But Gunathilaka then attacked Mohammad Nabi, and Sri Lanka took 14 and 11 from his two overs, the twelfth and 14th of the innings respectively. That ensured the required run price stayed underneath ten despite the fact that Shanaka and Asalanka fell trying large hits.

However, Afghanistan’s again broke when Rajapaksa hammered Naveen for 4, 4, 6 in an 18-run sixteenth over. The first boundary was hit previous level, the following one was straighter via deep additional cowl, and the perfect of the lot – the six – was hammered over the bowler’s head. Rajapaksa was dropped off the ultimate ball of that over, and with the Afghan shoulders drooping in unison as a response, it appeared just like the match was already in Sri Lanka’s pocket.

Rashid then obtained right into a chat with Gunathilaka after the batter reverse-swept him for 4, forcing Rajapaksa to intervene and preserve issues underneath management. Even although Rashid gained that battle with Gunathilaka’s wicket for a 20-ball 33, Sri Lanka wanted solely 25 from 20 balls at that stage.

Hasaranga smacked three fours off the primary six balls he confronted, and despite the fact that Rajapaksa fell for a 14-ball 31 making an attempt for a glory shot when the goal was two runs away, celebrations started among the many Sri Lanka followers effectively earlier than the profitable runs have been hit.