Afghanistan Clinches Nerve-Wracking Victory in the 3rd T20I: SL Grab Series
In a thrilling encounter in Dambulla, Afghanistan secured a nail-biting three-run win against Sri Lanka, concluding a challenging tour on a high note.
The visitors successfully defended 209, withstanding attacks from Pathum Nissanka and Kamindu Mendis.
In other words, Sri Lanka wins the series 2-1, while Afghanistan closes the series on a positive note by earning their lone victory at the last possible moment.
The last two pitches of each innings ultimately proved to be the difference. Afghanistan, who chose to bat first, reached 209 for 5 when debutant Mohammed Ishaq hit 10 runs off their last two balls. In reply, Sri Lanka needed 10 off of 2, but Kamindu could only muster six, and that too after the game’s last ball.
There were several vicious blows in between, the most notable of which came from Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored an incredible 70 off 43 balls to lay the groundwork for the visitors’ enormous total. Hazratullah Zazai opened alongside him, bludgeoning an even more devastating 45 off 22.
In reply, Sri Lanka’s Nissanka took the lead with a 30-ball 60 until a hamstring strain forced him to be removed due to injury, but Kamindu’s 65 off 39 made sure the match would be decided at the last minute.
It’s safe to say that the bowlers had a rough day because none of them were able to bowl at an economy rate of less than eight, and the seamers on both sides took the worst of the abuse, with each taking more than ten runs an over.
Zazai and Gurbaz gave AFG a Flying Start
Gurbaz and Zazai, who had just pride to lose, began venting their annoyance at the way this trip had gone, and in just 48 deliveries, they clobbered their way to an opening stand of 88 runs.
Throughout a 72-run powerplay, Sri Lanka was not spared on either end as the two were capable of handling any situation that Sri Lanka presented. None of Akila Dananjaya, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Thushara, or Matheesha Pathirana—who were brought in early to try to stop the run flow—were spared and were looted everywhere.
Gurbaz, who by all accounts had a rough tour, was especially happy to finally get some runs under his belt. He celebrated turning fifty by gazing up at the sky and expressing his relief with a clear expression. He also rode his luck, being dropped by Dananjaya on 22 and again by Sadeera Samawickrama on 58 – both times having deep and running chances.
Back to Back Partnerships Kept the Momentum for AFG
Although Sri Lanka may have thought it could pull back once the initial partnership ended, Afghanistan hardly let up on the pressure. They could not sustain the roughly 12-over scoring rate that Gurbaz and Zazai had been tearing through, but the rate never fell below 10 during their innings.
After establishing partnerships of 25, 28, and 41, all of which were comfortably above run-a-ball, Sri Lanka’s bowlers were never allowed to exert any pressure. Ishaq’s final-over strikes then put the icing on a brilliant batting performance.
Nissanka Show
In the previous few years, there had been numerous correlations between Sri Lanka’s higher totals and an onslaught of Kusal Mendis; nevertheless, in terms of Sri Lanka, 2024 has been the Nissanka show.
While many were taken aback by his double-ton in the ODIs, Nissanka now appears determined to fully change his white-ball style and develop into a pocket-sized power batter.
In the opening over of the chase, he made a clear indication of his intentions by clipping a good first ball and then hitting a short one beyond mid-on a few balls later. In the last over of the powerplay, he saved his most devastating effort for Fareed Ahmad. He took him for six, four, four, first scooping over fine leg, then slapping high down the ground, and then flaying over point.
He had scored 60 runs (from of 30 deliveries) by the time he left the field, out of Sri Lanka’s 83 total. His farewell shot, a slog sweep over deep midwicket, before he left the field was a poignant reminder of just what they’d be missing out on. They will hope the hamstring injury that caused him to quit hurt is nothing major.
Afghanistan Showed Tremendous Composure Till the End
This was mostly due to a momentum-shifting stand that Kamindu and Samarawickrama had, with Kamindu scoring 53 off 33. Afghanistan may have thought they were home and clear when Samarawickrama went down, edging a cut to the keeper, and Mathews soon after holing out in the deep, but another quick fire stand upset the equilibrium once more.
Dasun Shanaka and Kamindu put up 35 off 17 overs, but Mendis and Sri Lanka came up painfully short when Shanaka was run out and he needed 19 off the last over.
