Sri Lanka Vs Afghanistan 3rd Odi 30 November 2022

3rd ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Kandy

Afghanistan

313/8 (50)

Sri Lanka

314/6 (49.4)

SL won by 4 wickets

Info

Fantasy

Live

Scorecard

Playing XI

Player of the Match Charith Asalanka

83(72)

Afghanistan Inns

313/8 (50)

Sri Lanka Inns

314/6 (49.4)

Batters

Pathum Nissanka

63.64

b Rashid Khan

Kusal Mendis

109.84

c Rashid Khan b Mohammad Nabi

Dinesh Chandimal

103.13

b Mohammad Nabi

Dhananjaya de Silva

45.45

b Rashid Khan

Charith Asalanka *

115.28

Not out

Dasun Shanaka

97.73

b Rashid Khan

Wanindu Hasaranga

66.67

c Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Rashid Khan

Dunith Wellalage

147.62

Not out

Extras

(B: 0, LB: 1, NB: 1, W: 13)

TOTAL

(49.4 Ov, RR: 6.32)

314/6

Did not Bat

Maheesh Theekshana , Kasun Rajitha , Asitha Fernando

Bowlers

EXT

Fazalhaq Farooqi

9.4

7.24

7.00

8.00

5.60

3.70

8.00

Fall Of Wickets

Score

Over

Kusal Mendis

c Rashid Khan b Mohammad Nabi

1-101

17.6

Pathum Nissanka

b Rashid Khan

2-107

20.1

Dhananjaya de Silva

b Rashid Khan

3-116

22.3

Dinesh Chandimal

b Mohammad Nabi

4-164

30.3

Dasun Shanaka

b Rashid Khan

5-243

41.4

Wanindu Hasaranga

c Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Rashid Khan

6-249

43.1

Player of the Match Charith Asalanka

83(72)

Commentary

It's time for the two captains to receive the trophy after the series has been squared. That concludes the post-match presentation ceremony along with Sportskeeda's coverage. A fabulous chase from Sri Lanka to level the series 1-1. This is me, Arya Sekhar Chakraborty signing off in behalf of my fellow commentator and good friend Pradeep. Goodnight.

Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka captain): Yeah I think, first of all, I should thank the crowd and wanted us to win desperately today. It was a great game of cricket, we started really well but kept falling down. But the partnerships kept coming. I think in the middle phase we were indisciplined and were worried about the umpire's decision. That's the phase where we went out of the game. I think in the coming series we have to look at the disciplines more. Plan was to bat till the 45th over. If I was there, it should have been done pretty easily. Charith has been outstanding, we know he is a finisher. Dunith is impressive as well. Not only with the bowling but won us the match with the bat.

Hasmatullah Shahidi (Afghanistan captain): Yea the score was good enough but unluckily the Sri Lankan batters did very good. When Rashid came to bowl he did his job very well according to the plan. But the other bowlers didn't go according to the plan as we wanted. I think we have some misfields also, we conceded extra single. Dropped chance and that cost us. Yeah, it was a good experience, Sri Lanka is a tough team playing in their own conditions but our players also played very well.

Ibrahim Zadran is the Player of the Series, has scored 278 runs in the series! Here's what he has to say: To be honest, I'm not sure about the highest score here at Pallekele. First of all, very happy with the performance, the ball was coming on slow and I took my time, wanted to bat longer. We lost couple of early wickets, me and Najib played really well, we got the highest partnership at that time and once I got to the hundred, we thought we'll target the 300. To be honest, this is still early days of my cricket, I want to do great things for my country and for the people of Afghanistan. I want to dedicate this award to my parents for all the belief and hard work they have put in me.

Charith Asalanka has been adjudged the Player of the Match for his match winning knock of 83(72)! Here's what he has to say: Happy about the win, we were behind when we started but I'm very happy to have gotten the team over the line. I believe in my captain, we kept the scoreboard ticking, he scored forty odd runs with good strike rates. I also backed Wellalage to score runs, my cramps are better now, happy to win the game for country more importantly.

Match Summary

Sri Lanka won by 4 wickets (with 2 deliveries to spare)

Charith Asalanka 83*(72), Kusal Mendis 67(61) | Kasun Rajitha 3/60
Ibrahim Zadran 162(138), Najibullah Zadran 77(76) | Rashid Khan 4/37

Sri Lanka needed a good start from their openers to chase down the highest total in Pallekele. Both Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis started off cautiously but once they played out the initial phase, it was all about timing and precision from the duo. They batted sensibly and found the boundaries whenever there was a loose ball on offer.

Kusal Mendis decided to take a few risks after the 10th over and it paid off. The Afghan bowlers struggled with their line and lengths and Mendis was quick to pounce on. He batted brilliantly and scored a well-deserved half-century. It was the introduction of the spinners which slowly stemmed the run flow.

Mohammad Nabi provided the maiden breakthrough of Mendis and his partner Pathum Nissanka followed him soon after. Rashid Khan bowled brilliantly in the middle overs, bagging the twp prized wickets of Nissanka and Dhananjaya de Silva. Sri Lanka were suddenly struggling at 117/3 and needed a partnership. It was provided by the duo of Charith Asalanak and Dasun Shanaka.

Dinesh Chandimal looked in fluent touch but was dismissed by a flatter trajectory delivery from Mohammad Nabi. The duo of Shanaka and Asalanka provided the much-needed stability for Sri Lanka with an 81 run stand. Both batters found the boundaries at important junctures and didn’t allow the run rate to creep up.

However, the re-introduction of Rashid Khan spelled doom for the hosts as he castled Shanaka with a ripper of a wrong-un, followed by another brilliant delivery to send back Wanindu Hasaranga. Charith Asalanaka was still out in the middle and kept fighting for his team despite losing his partners at the other end.

Asalanka smashed some lusty blows of Mujeeb Ur Rahman towards the death to make the equation a bit easier for Sri Lanka. However, the pressure kept mounting as Rashid Khan and Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled some exceptional overs in the death.

Just when it looked like Afghanistan would run away with the match, youngster Dunith Wellelage turned it on in the penultimate over, smashing Gulbadin Naib for 16 runs to bring the equation down to 13 required off the final over. Wellelage then smashed a six while Asalanka finished it off with a smash over deep backward square leg. While Asalanka remained unbeaten 83, Wellelage chipped in with an unbeaten 31 off 21.

Earlier in the day, it was the Afghan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi who won the toss and opted to bat. Riding on an exceptional knock off 162 by Ibrahim Zadran, Afghanistan posted a big score of 313 in their allotted 50 overs.

Ibrahim continued his rich vein of form and was dismissed on the final delivery of the innings. Najibullah Zadran also chipped in with a brilliant 77 and it was their combined effort that helped Afghanistan post a mammoth score. Kasun Rajith was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka, finishing with 3/60 in 10 overs.

What an incredible win for Sri Lanka. They have fought till the end and on the back of Wellelage and Asalanka, they have got Sri Lanka over the line as they square the three-match series 1-1. Farooqi backed the slower short ones on the surface and Asalanka and Wellelage was equal to the task. What a win for Sri Lanka.

49.4 Fazalhaq Farooqi to Charith Asalanka, SIX! IT'S ALL OVER! SRI LANKA WIN! What a game, what a thriller this turned out to be in the end and Sri Lanka get over the line to square the series, 1-1! Take a bow Charith Asalanka and Dunith Wellalage, Sri Lanka's new found heroes. Was another slower, into the deck hard, Asalanka picks up the slower one brilliantly and has DISPATCHED it over deep square-leg to seal the game.

6 needed koff 3 deliveries. This is getting very tense. Good comeback by Farooqi after conceding tnat six firstt ball.

49.3 Fazalhaq Farooqi to Dunith Wellalage, another slower one, Wellalage had to manufacture all the power there as he heaved it down to long-on, there was two on offer but Asalanka cannot run, they settle for a single. Now 6 needed off 3!

49.2 Fazalhaq Farooqi to Dunith Wellalage, brilliant change of pace, Wellalage walks long way across off-stump to ramp but doesn't make any connection, dot ball.

49.1 Fazalhaq Farooqi to Dunith Wellalage, SIX! OH MY! That tips over the bar, fielder running to his left gets to it but tips it over the bar for a maximum, crowd erupts at Pallekele. Was a slower one, into the deck hard. Wellalage has gotten hold of that as he pulled it away and gets a maximum. Now 7 off 5!

What a sensational over for Sri Lanka. 16 coming off that over. We have a new hero for Sri Lanka in Wellelage.

overs

301 /6 score

runs

Charith Asalanka

77 (71)

Dunith Wellalage *

24 (18)

Gulbadin Naib

0 /48

48.6 Gulbadin Naib to Dunith Wellalage, length delivery on the stumps, Wellalage lifted it down to long-on but the fielder is pushed back and they get only a single.

Wellelage is standing up just when it matters the most. Three back-to-back boundaries and he has turned the match on its head. Now Sri Lanka need 14 off 7. A massive delivery coming up in the context of the game. The final delivery could decide the fate of the game.

48.5 Gulbadin Naib to Dunith Wellalage, FOUR MORE! Dunith Wellalage, is he going to be the hero that Sri Lanka deserve? Was another slower one, too shot and sat up nicely as Wellalage hammers it down to long-on for another boundary, Naib is losing it here.

18 runs needed off 8 balls. This is splendid batting by the youngster Wellelage. Nabi doing the right thing, taking some time off and having a chat with his bowler. Trying to calm his nerves.

48.4 Gulbadin Naib to Dunith Wellalage, FOUR! Poor, poor delivery and gets punished. Slower one but way down the leg-side, Wellalage waits and hammers it to deep backward square-leg for another boundary.

48.3 Gulbadin Naib to Dunith Wellalage, change of pace, Wellalage touch early into the heave as he drags it back on to his pad and it's a dot ball.