Hasaranga, Pathirana script thrilling win
Playing his second T20 international after 18 months, seamer Matheesha Pathirana along with his captain, Wanindu Hasaranga, orchestrated a thrilling 4-run victory over Afghanistan in the first of the three-match T20 series at the Dambulla International Stadium yesterday.
In pursuit of 161 runs, Afghanistan found themselves on 156 for 9 as seamer Binura Fernando successfully defended the 11 runs required in the final over.
Despite skipper Ibrahim Zadran’s impressive performance with the bat, Sri Lanka managed to disrupt the Afghan run chase at crucial junctures, securing the win. Zadran remained unbeaten on 67, marking his fifth T20 half-century off 55 balls with eight boundaries.
Pathirana delivered an impressive performance with figures of 4-24, his best in T20s, while Shanaka’s quick dismissals of
Mohammad Nabi and Najibulla Zadran set the stage for victory. Pathirana’s raw pace, combined with pinpoint accuracy, made him a lethal weapon, leading Sri Lanka to go one-up in the series.
The match, marking the first international game in six years at the venue and the first-ever T20 international at the venue, drew a passionate crowd who witnessed an enthralling contest as both teams battled fiercely for supremacy.
Despite Sri Lanka's strong position at 146-5 with four overs remaining and skipper Hasaranga in fine form, they suffered a sudden collapse, losing their final five wickets for just 14 runs off 25 deliveries. Farooqi stood out with figures of 3-25, including crucial wickets of Pathum Nissanka (6) and Kusal Mendis (10).
Hasaranga emerged as the top scorer for the hosts, making 67 runs off 32 balls after coming in at number six. He stabilised the innings momentarily with a resilient 72-run partnership with Sadeera Samarawickrama when Sri Lanka was struggling at 55-4 in the eighth over.
Facing leg-spinner Qais Ahmad, Hasaranga unleashed two sixes and two fours in a blistering 22-run over. His second T20 half-century arrived in just 24 deliveries, capped off with an elegant boundary through extra cover off Qais, followed by two consecutive sixes and a four to elevate Sri Lanka’s innings.
However, the partnership was broken in the subsequent over when Samarawickrama attempted a risky single and was run out by a direct hit from Ibrahim Zadran. Hasaranga departed soon after, misjudging a drive to long-off and offering a simple catch to Zadran off Naveen-ul-Haq's bowling.
The second match is scheduled for Monday at the same venue, with the final match set for Wednesday.