Sri Lanka held their nerve to register a narrow victory against Afghanistan in the 3rd and final ODI of the 3-match series and level the series. Afghanistan, the visiting side, won the first ODI before rain washed out the second match of this series. All three games of this series were played in Pallekele which ended 1-1 with both captains sharing the trophy.
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| Image Credits: ESPN Cricinfo |
Toss Update: Afghanistan won the toss and opted to bat first.
Having opted to bat first, Afghanistan scored 313 on the board losing 8 wickets in 50 overs. Opener Ibrahim Zadran was once again instrumental with the bat scoring 162 runs and taking them over the 300-run mark. Najibullah Zadran (77 off 76) also made a notable contribution as this duo added 154 runs for the 4th wicket which gave them a good foundation for the final 10 overs!
Kasun Rajitha though failed to replicate his death over supremacy in this third ODI, was the pick of the Sri Lankan side with figures of 3-60 from his 10 overs. Hasaranga was expensive but bagged two late wickets to peg back Afghanistan's strike rate toward the death.
Sri Lanka, chasing 314 runs to win, managed to score 314 losing 6 wickets in 49.4 overs. The home team started off well with a brilliant 101-run stand for the opening wicket. But then they soon lost ground as they were reduced from 101-0 to 116-3. The 79-run stand for the fifth wicket between Charith Asalanka (83* off 72) and Dasun Shanaka (43 off 44) helped them make a comeback from that stutter and get close to the target.
The 19-year-old bowler Dunith Wellalage scored an unbeaten 31* off 21 balls in a 65-run unbeaten stand for the 7th wicket with Asalanka to help Sri Lanka get over the line with just 2 balls to spare. Rashid Khan headlined the Afghanistan bowling unit with figures of 4-37 from his 10 overs.
Match result: Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan by a margin of 4 wickets.
Charith Asalanka has been adjudged as the Player of the Match for his crucial contribution of 83* not out from 72 deliveries including 5 fours and 4 sixes. It was unfortunate that the panel chose Asalanka and not Ibrahim Zadran who scored a brilliant hundred in the first half of the match. Nonetheless, Ibrahim Zadran was declared Player of the Series for his 2 centuries with the bat.
Brief Scores: Sri Lanka: 314-6 in 49.4 overs (Charith Asalanka - 83, Rashid Khan - 4-37) defeated Afghanistan: 313-8 in 50 overs (Ibrahim Zadran - 162, Kasun Rajitha - 3-60) by a margin of 4 wickets
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