Sri Lanka staged a remarkable comeback to level the three-match series against Afghanistan with a commanding performance in both batting and bowling.
After a disappointing loss in the first ODI, the hosts bounced back in style, setting a formidable target of 324 runs and then comfortably defending it, winning by a margin of 132 runs.
In the opening ODI, Dimuth Karunaratne failed to leave an impact, but he quickly found his form in the second match. With two boundaries off Fazalhaq Farooqi in the second over, Karunaratne set the tone for Sri Lanka’s innings.
Alongside Pathum Nissanka, he provided a rapid start, although the introduction of Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman in the powerplay slowed down the run rate. Nonetheless, the openers managed to score runs freely from the other end. Mohammad Nabi eventually broke the partnership by dismissing Nissanka leg-before-wicket.
After a lull in scoring, Karunaratne broke free by punishing a short ball from Noor Ahmad and followed it up with a well-guided shot past the slip, completing his fifty. However, Noor had his revenge as he trapped Karunaratne lbw in the same over.
Sadeera Samarawickrama then came in with an aggressive mindset, hitting consecutive boundaries off Nabi in a quickfire knock of 10 runs off just 6 balls.
Samarawickrama and Kusal Mendis added to Sri Lanka’s momentum by scoring boundaries off Noor and maintaining a steady run rate. By the 35th over, Sri Lanka had reached a comfortable score of 187/2.
Although Afghanistan managed to remove the top order to temporarily halt Sri Lanka’s progress, Mendis unleashed a flurry of powerful shots, contributing 78 runs.
Additionally, Dasun Shanaka and Wanindu Hasaranga played valuable cameos towards the end, boosting Sri Lanka to a commanding total of 323/6.
In their pursuit of the target, Afghanistan suffered an early setback as Rahmanullah Gurbaz edged Dushmantha Chameera’s delivery behind the wickets.
Ibrahim Zadran, who had shone in the previous match, partnered with Rahmat Shah, but their slow scoring rate put pressure on the required run rate. Afghanistan only managed to score 33 runs in the first ten overs, and Shanaka took advantage of this by dismissing Rahmat lbw.
Hashmatullah Shahidi and Ibrahim revived Afghanistan’s hopes with an essential partnership of 84 runs. However, with the required run rate mounting to nine runs per over in the final 20 overs, the game started slipping away from their grasp.
Dhananjaya de Silva struck twice in successive overs, dismissing Ibrahim and Najibullah Zadran, effectively ending Afghanistan’s chances.
From that point onwards, it was all Sri Lanka as they dominated the proceedings, taking regular wickets and causing Afghanistan’s collapse from 146/2 to 191 all out.
Sri Lanka’s comprehensive victory showcased their ability to bounce back and seize control of the match. Their top-order batsmen set a strong foundation, and their bowlers capitalized on the pressure to dismantle Afghanistan’s batting lineup. With the series now level, the stage is set for an exciting decider in the third and final ODI.
