Pune: Left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed 4-34 and Mujeeb Ur Rahman bagged 2-38 as Afghanistan came up with another superb bowling performance to bundle out Sri Lanka for 241 in Match 30 of the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 and lined up themselves for causing another upset.
Electing to bowl first, Farooqi made the breakthrough for Afghanistan when he trapped Dimuth Karunaratne in front of the wicket for 15 as Sri Lanka lost their first wicket with 22 runs on the board.
Pathum Nissanka (46) and skipper Kusal Mendis (39) raised 62 runs for the second wicket at a slow pace as Sri Lanka reached 84/1 in the 19th over when Nissanka feathered a superb back-of-a-length delivery by Azmatullah Qmarzi to Rahmanullah Gurbaz at backward point. The wicket stemmed the flow of runs and Afghanistan slowly took control of the innings.
Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama (36) added 50 runs for the third wicket partnership before Mendis holed to deep midwicket with the score 134. Samarawickrama was out soon, trapped lbw by Farooqi with the score reading 139/4. Charith Asalanka and Dhananjaya de Silva got starts but could not capitalise
Sri Lanka continued to lose wickets at regular intervals as Farooqui sent back the experienced Angelo Mathews (23) and also accounted for Maheesh Theekshana for 29 as some of the Sri Lankan batters got the start but could not capitalise on it.
Brief scores:
Sri Lanka 241 all out in 49.3 overs (Pathum Nissanka 46, Kusal Mendis 39, Sadeera Samarawickrama 36; Fazalhaq Farooqi 4-34, Mujeeb-Ur-Rehman2-38) against Afghanistan.
(IANS)
