SAJEEWA JAYAKODY
COLOMBO – In a crucial match at the ICC World Cup against Afghanistan, Sri Lanka fought hard to put up a good score on a slow pitch at Pune on Monday. Maheesh Theekshana and Angelo Mathews played a key role in ensuring Sri Lanka reached a defendable total.
The game started with opener Dimuth Karunartne, in place of Kusal Perera, not finding his rhythm and getting out LBW to Fazalhaq Farooqi in the sixth over.
Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis then came together to stabilize the innings, adding 62 runs for the second wicket. Nissanka narrowly missed his sixth consecutive half-century in the ICC World Cup series, falling just short at 46 runs.
Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama added another 55 runs for the fourth wicket, aiming to push Sri Lanka’s total towards the 300-run mark. However, the middle order collapsed, putting Sri Lanka in a tough spot.
It was the partnership between Mathews and Theekshana that saved the day, adding 45 runs for the eighth wicket. This boosted Sri Lanka’s total, making it challenging for Afghanistan to chase under the night sky on a slow pitch.
Sri Lanka now faces the task of defending this decent total by maintaining discipline and strength in their bowling and fielding. It’s going to be a tough challenge for them to secure victory in this must-win clash.
Cheif scores:
Sri Lanka: 241 in 49.3 overs (Pathum Nissanka 46, Kusal Mendis 39, Sadeera Samarawickrama 36, Maheesh Theekshana 29, Angelo Mathews 23, Charith Asalanka 22, Fazallaq Farooqi 4/34, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 2/38)
