Kusal Mendis’s 84-ball 92 – including six fours and three sixes – powered Sri Lanka to the sizeable total of 291 for 8, putting them as firm favourites to qualify for the Super Fours ahead of their opponents Afghanistan. Hashmatullah Shahidi’s side need to chase this down in 37.1 overs to edge ahead on Net Run Rate and progress in the tournament.
On a hot afternoon in Lahore, Dasun Shanaka opted to bat first and openers Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne started solidly. They added 62 runs in the first 10 overs to lay a good base for the batting side, even as Afghanistan were in desperate need of early wickets to keep the total down. Gulbadin Naib then found a way to breakthrough in the 11th over, when Dimuth Karunaratne was foxed by a slower one and chipped one to Mohammad Nabi at cover. Naib got lucky with his next scalp as Nissanka, who too was looking set, cut a short and wide ball straight to Najibullah Zadran at point.
Naib dented Sri Lanka further two overs later by dismissing Sadeera Samarawickrama. Charith Asalanka and Kusal Mendis revived the innings, adding 102 in 16.3 overs, during which Mendis brought up a brisk half-century. Asalanka too played with a sense of adventurism but was stopped in his tracks by Rashid Khan in the 34th over.
Afghanistan spin pair of Rashid and Mujeeb Ur Rahman put Sri Lanka on the backfoot briefly once again as they went from 188 for 3 to 227 for 7 – a phase when Sri Lanka lost both their set batters as well as captain Dasun Shanaka.
However, Afghanistan’s hopes of restricting Sri Lanka to a sub-250 total was thwarted by the dogged eighth-wicket pair of Maheesh Theekshana and Dunith Wellalage as they put on 64 valuable runs to drag the team closer to the 300-run mark. The last five overs cost 39 runs as Sri Lanka ended on 291 for 8.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 291/8 in 50 overs (Kusal Mendis 92, Pathum Nissanka 41, Charith Asalanka 36; Gulbadin Naib 4-60, Rashid Khan 2-63) vs Afghanistan
