Asalanka wins last over thriller at Pallekele
Rex Clementine at Pallekele
Sri Lanka completed the highest successful run chase ever at home to square the three match ODI series against Afghanistan on Wednesday at the Pallekele International Stadium.
Set a target of 314 to win, Sri Lanka got home with two balls and four wickets in hand as Charith Asalanka starred with an unbeaten 83 off 72 balls with five fours and four sixes. Sri Lanka were in trouble after Rashid Khan ran through the middle order claiming four for 37. Three of those dismissals were batsmen failing to read the googly and all three were bowled through the gate.
But Asalanka battling with cramps fought back and he was well supported by Dunith Wellalage as they added 65 runs off 39 deliveries for the seventh wicket to complete the run chase.
The hosts needed 13 runs off the last over. Wellalage pulled the first ball bowled by Fazalhaq Farooqui for six although Rashid Khan at deep mid-wicket nearly completed the catch. Wellalage got a single off the third ball and then Asalanka sealed the game with a six off the fourth delivery for much of the delight of a packed stadium.
Opening batsman Ibrahim Zadran rewrote the history books for Afghanistan with a career best 162 before being dismissed in the last ball of the innings.
The 20-year-old posted the highest score by an Afghan player in ODIs going past Mohammad Shahzad’s 131, made in 2015 against Zimbabwe in Sharjah. It’s also the highest score by an overseas player in Sri Lankan soil moving past India’s Gautam Gambhir, who had posted 150 in Colombo in 2009.
Zadran was playing just his eighth ODI but showed excellent temperament and composure helping his side out of a tricky situation after being reduced to 57 for three. Zadran was involved in a 154-run stand with his namesake Najibullah Zadran, a record for Afghanistan for the fourth wicket.
It was Ibrahim Zadran’s second century in the series having posted a match winning hundred in the first game which Afghanistan won by 60 runs. Zadran required 100 balls for his century but from there on he was cruising as he needed only 38 deliveries for his next 62 runs. His knock contained 15 fours and four sixes as Sri Lanka ran out of ideas to stop the batsman. Najibullah assisted him well posting less than run a ball 77 with eight fours and one six. The stand was broken when Dasun Shanaka pulled off a stunning catch at mid-wicket. However, there was no stopping Ibrahim Zadran.
Kasun Rajitha was the pick of the bowlers finishing with three wickets.
