Asia Cup 2022: Sri Lanka pull off report chase at Sharjah in opposition to Afghanistan | Cricket Information
Sri Lankan batters confirmed huge tactical acumen in one more tough run-chase as they defeated Afghanistan by 4 wickets within the opening Tremendous 4 sport of the Asia Cup on Saturday. It was a incredible bowling effort on the dying that noticed Sri Lanka prohibit the Afghans to 175 for six with solely 37 runs coming within the final 5 overs regardless of an excellent 84 off 45 balls by Rahamanullah Gurbaz.
In reply, Sri Lanka chased down the goal in 19.1 overs with a number of small however impactful contributions that sealed the problem for them. This was the very best run-chase in a T20I at Sharjah. Similar to nice bowing on the dying, the overs between 15-18 yielded 51 runs for the Lankans and that proved to be a game-changer.
Kusal Mendis (36 off 19 balls) began from the place he had left in opposition to Bangladesh the opposite day as he launched into opposition’s greatest bowler Rashid Khan, depositing him for 2 successive sixes as 17 runs got here in that over contained in the Powerplay. And earlier than that, Mendis had a most of Mujeeb ur Rahaman.
All three sixes have been within the arc between deep mid-wicket and deep sq. leg. His opening associate Pathum Nissanka (35 off 28 balls) additionally gave strong help as 62 have been added for the opening stand. Nonetheless, it was Danuska Gunathilaka (33 off 20 balls) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (31 off 14 balls), whose 32 runs stand of simply 2.3 overs modified the complexion of the ame.
Good chase from Sri Lanka! #RoaringForGlory #SLvAFG pic.twitter.com/X4KKcaH5ng
— Sri Lanka Cricket (@OfficialSLC) September 3, 2022
Their daredevilry had huge impression within the remaining final result of the sport as they hit sixes and located the gaps with ease. Within the 34 balls that they performed, there have been six fours and three sixes.
The Afghan bowlers, who will not be all the time used to dealing with stress conditions, did falter in the long run and Rashid’s poor day (1/39 in 4 overs) on the workplace did have its impact. Put into bat younger opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz gave an excellent exhibition of his dashing strokeplay as his innings was the cornerstone of Afghanistan’s aggressive whole of 175 for six.
Nonetheless, Afghanistan shall be a bit disenchanted because the final 5 overs yielded solely 37 runs and misplaced 5 wickets in a jiffy with GUrbaz’s dismissal placing some form of a brake on the run circulate.
Gurbaz, the 20-year-old right-hander, who was part of IPL champion staff Gujarat Titans, smashed half a dozen sixes and added 93 in simply 10.4 overs with Ibrahim Zadran (40) to take Afghanistan to a greater than respectable whole on the Sharjah Cricket floor.
The night belonged to Gurbaz, who did get a slice of luck as Danushka Gunathilaka‘s foot touched the rope when he went for a successive second six off thriller spinner Mahesh Theekshana, having slog-swept him for his first six. Nonetheless, there was no wanting again after that though the best hander did not use his toes a lot in opposition to the spinner.
The slog sweep off Wanindu Hasaranga over cow nook was a deal with to look at and so was the 2 down-the-ground sixes off Chamika Karunaratne which was all about most energy with hand-eye co-ordination and minimal toes motion.
There was pull shot off pacer Asitha Fernando among the many half dozen of sixes that he hit and as soon as he was out, Sri Lanka bowlers did get a way of reprieve on a floor the place the aspect boundaries are actually brief. Zadran although bought a couple of lusty blows and so did Rashid Khan (9) in direction of the fag finish of the Afghanistan innings to take the rating near 180.
Whereas spinners Theekshana (1/29) and Hasaranga (0/23 in 4 overs) gave away solely 52 of their eight overs, it was skipper Dasun Shanaka (0/22 in 2 overs) and Karunaratne (0/29 in 2 overs), who leaked 51 runs in 4 overs for the “fifth bowler’s quota”.
