Innings break Afghanistan 116 all out (Nabi 23, Chameera 4-63, Hasaranga 3-7, Kumara 2-29) vs Sri Lanka
The top scorer made just 23; six batters failed to make it out of single figures. Perhaps most disappointingly for Afghanistan, there was nothing in the surface that warranted this kind of collapse, even in the face of lively and intense fast bowling.
It was Kumara who made the first breakthrough, having Rahmanullah Gurbaz caught hooking at fine leg in the second over; but it was Chameera who delivered the most telling spells to finish with figures of 4 for 63 – many of those runs coming via edges to the boundary. Gleaning a little movement off the surface, Chameera had both Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi caught by the wicketkeeper in the space of four balls in the fifth over – Shahidi edging one that passed down the leg side.
Kumara, though, got the big wicket of Ibrahim Zadran with a dream inducker that pitched just outside off, and jagged in to pass between bat and pad, before rattling the stumps. Ibrahim was out for 22, leaving Afghanistan at 48 for 4 in the ninth over. That was only the second time in six consecutive matches against Sri Lanka that Ibrahim fell for less than 50.
And when Chameera returned for a second spell, he produced the over of the innings in which he was unfortunate to get only one wicket. First ball, Mohammad Nabi edged him fractionally over slip for four; second delivery, Nabi was dropped by backward point, who got hands to a shin-high chance but grassed it; and then third ball, Najibullah Zadran edged towards slip, but the ball bounced short and burst through the fielder’s hands to go to the boundary.
But there was finally some luck for Chameera on the fourth attempt. He seamed a length ball on the stumps, which Zadran tried to play to the leg side, but ended up only sending a leading edge to point, which was easily held this time. Next over, Chameera would get Nabi too, seaming it in to hit him above the knee roll on the front leg. The batter reviewed the out decision, but the ball was projected to hit the top of leg stump.
Maheesh Theekshana took an important wicket too. Gulbadin Naib had struck some boundaries and was looking to launch a counterattack, but ended up holing out to long-on.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo’s Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf
Source: ESPN Crickinfo