“Another day, another top-class bowling”- Wanindu Hasaranga scalps three but a combined batting steer Afghanistan to a decent total against Sri Lanka
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Wanindu Hasaranga
Afghanistan posted a decent total of 148/8 in 20 overs, with contributions from every batter, on Tuesday, November 1, at the Gabba in Brisbane. Wanindu Hasaranga once again shone with his spin as he sent three batters to the dugout.
Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi won the toss and elected to bat first. They got off to a flying start, scoring 42 runs till Lahiru Kumara gave the first breakthrough to the Lankans by dismissing Rahmanullah Gurbaz- who scored 28 off 24 balls, with two fours and the same number of sixes- on the first ball of the seventh over.
Afghanistan lost their next batter right after the break, in the 11th over off Wanindu Hasaranga’s short ball, which Usman Ghani wanted to clear to the short leg side boundary but mistimed his pull shot. Lankan skipper Dasun Shanaka at the deep mid-wicket caught it comfortably. Ghani departed after contributing 27 runs off the same number of balls with two fours and a six.
Two overs later, No. 3 batter Ibrahim Zadran gave away his wicket to Kumara’s length ball in the 13th over. Zadran wanted this ball to whack it over the mid-off fielder; however, he mistimed his shot, and the ball fell straight into the hands of mid-off fielder Bhanuka Rajapaksa.
Dhananjaya de Silva gave the fourth breakthrough in the 16th over by scalping Najibullah Zadran’s wicket when the latter attempted to heave a flighted ball over the long-off, but he hit it with the bottom part of his bat. The ball traveled up before Hasaranga at the long-off took a good catch.
Half of Afghanistan’s batters headed back towards the pavilion when Pathum Nissanka ran Gulbadin Naib out on the second ball of the 18th over. Nabi tucked Pathum Nissanka’s short ball toward the deep mid-wicket and went for a run, he wanted the second run, but Nabi sent him back mid-way. The former’s bat got stuck in the ground, and keeper Kusal Mendis dislodged the bails.
Afghanistan then lost their two wickets in the last two overs. They were Nabi and Rashid Khan; they scored 13 and nine runs, respectively. Hasaranga ended the innings when Mendis stumped Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s wicket on the last ball of the final over. With this, Afghanistan posted a decent total of 144/8 in 20 overs. Hasaranga completed his three scalps, Kumara got two, and Kasun Rajitha and de Silva picked up one wicket each.
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Gouri Das
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