Nissanka stars again as Sri Lanka clean sweep Afghanistan ODI series

PALLEKELE (Agencies): Led by Pathum Nissanka’s 118, Sri Lanka cruised to a comfortable 7-wicket win over Afghanistan in the third ODI at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium to complete a 3-0 series whitewash on Wednesday. The hosts crossed the line with 14.4 overs to spare. Electing to bat, Afghanistan made a brisk start, cracking four boundaries in the opening over. After Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s early assault, Ibrahim Zadran took charge of the carnage, going after Pramod Madushan and cracking three more in the fourth over, by the end of which the visitors had already piled on 36 runs. However, an effort to pick a quick single proved disastrous as Avishka Fernando’s fine effort from cover point had Ibrahim caught short of his crease. After a period period of attack in the powerplay, Gurbaz and Rahmat Shah threw caution to the wind and forged a 57-run alliance for the second wicket before the former was cleaned up by Akila Dananjaya four short of his half-century. Hashmatullah Shahidi fell soon after and Rahmat had to again steady the innings, this time courtesy a 58-run stand with Azmatullah Omarzai.

The duo brought up their respective half-centuries with calculated play through the middle overs and set the stage for a late assault. However, the lower order couldn’t up the tempo adequately. Ikram Alikhil offered a useful hand to Shahidi in their 57-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but the rest lost their wickets in their bid to hit big shots. Madushan returned three wickets while Asitha Fernando, Dunith Wellalage and Dananjaya bagged a brace each to bowl out Afghanistan for 266. In response, quite like the visitors, the Sri Lankan batters too went on an overdrive. The first signs of going on fifth gear, however, came in the seventh over when Avishka took apart Fazalhaq Farooqi. He crunched two boundaries and a six before going after Omarzai in the next over. Nissanka soon joined him in the act and by the end of the 10th over, Sri Lanka’s total had swelled to 83 and Avishka had brought up his seventh ODI fifty.

The duo slowed down once the field restrictions were leaner. Nonetheless, they kept finding boundaries every now and then. Nissanka paddle swept Mohammad Nabi for a four in the 16th over to bring up his fifty. Four overs later, Afghanistan could have got their first breakthrough when Nissanka pulled Fareed Ahmed to the midwicket fielder, who didn’t move too fast to his left and only managed to get his fingertips to the ball. With the score on 144, it was already too late, but they allowed the partnership to swell to 173 when Avishka drove Qais Ahmad to the fielder at covers in the 23rd over. Nissanka got another reprieve in the 31st over when he pressed back and slammed Fareed towards the cow corner region. Despite a fine effort from the fielder running from long on, he could only get his finger tips to the ball. However, by then, the game was almost done and dusted. It was the third successive boundary of the over, coming right after the over in which Kusal Mendis struck three sixes off Farooqi. Mendis fell in the next over, chopping a ball by Nabi back on to his stumps while Nissanka was dismissed by Qais Ahmed three deliveries later. But it had no impact in the swing of the contest as Sri Lanka got over the line in 35.2 overs.

SCOREBOARD

AFGHANISTAN INNINGS

Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Dananjaya      48

Ibrahim Zadran run out   13

Rahmat Shah lbw b Wellalage   65

Hashmatullah Shahidi c Nissanka b Dananjaya      5

Azmatullah Omarzai b AM Fernando 54

Ikram Alikhil b Wellalage         32

Mohammad Nabi c Samarawickrama b Pramod      14

Sharafuddin Ashraf c Asalanka b Pramod     4

Qais Ahmad c Samarawickrama b Pramod   11

Fareed Ahmad b AM Fernando 5

Fazalhaq Farooqi not out 0

EXTRAS (LB 5, NB 1, W 9)    15

TOTAL (48.2 overs)      266

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-39, 2-96, 3-108, 4-166, 5-223, 6-237, 7-250, 8-255, 9-260, 10-266

BOWLING

Dilshan Madushanka      6-0-52-0

Pramod Madushan 8.2-0-45-3

Asitha Fernando   9-0-44-2

Dunith Wellalage  10-0-38-2

Janith Liyanage     2-0-11-0

Akila Dananjaya   10-0-54-2

Charith Asalanka  3-0-17-0

SRI LANKA INNINGS

Pathum Nissanka c Nabi b Qais          118

Avishka Fernando c Sharafuddin b Qais       91

Kusal Mendis b Nabi      40

Sadeera Samarawickrama not out       8

Charith Asalanka not out 7

Did not bat: Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Akila Dananjaya, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan, Dilshan Madushanka

EXTRAS (NB 2, W 1)    3

TOTAL (35.2 overs)      267-3

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-173, 2-251, 3-253

BOWLING

Fazalhaq Farooqi  5-0-54-0

Azmatullah Omarzai       4-0-29-0

Sharafuddin Ashraf         6-0-47-0

Fareed Ahmad      4-0-45-0

Mohammad Nabi  9.2-0-46-1

Qais Ahmad 7-0-46-2

Umpires: Michael Gough, Raveendra Wimalasiri

TV umpire: Alex Wharf

Match referee: Chris Broad