Kusal Mendis’ calm fifty under pressure overshadowed the six-hitting fest from Mohammd Nabi as Sri Lanka knocked Afghanistan out of Asia Cup with a six-wicket win here on Thursday, sending themselves and Bangladesh into the Super 4s.
Sri Lanka pacer Nuwan Thushara (4/18) struck thrice in his lethal opening spell before Nabi smashed five sixes in the 20th over to catapult Afghanistan to 169 for eight from a dire 79 for six in the 13th over.
The game went right down to the wire with Kusal Mendis (74 not out) anchoring Sri lanka’s chase. Eventually, Kusal and Kamindu Mendis (26 not out off 13) got the job done in 18.4 overs.
With three wins from as many games, Sri Lanka topped Group B while Bangladesh too advanced to the next stage with two wins from three games including against T20 World Cup semifinalists Afghanistan.
Having qualified for the finals in the middle of their chase, Sri Lanka were not going to settle for anything less than a win. With 48 needed off the last 30 balls and six wickets in hand, Sri Lanka had the upper hand.
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan conceded just 23 runs in his four overs with the batters not taking too many risks against him. He. however, hurt his back in his final over forcing him off the field.
The 17th over from Noor Ahmad yielded 17 runs, tilting the game decisively in Sri Lanka’s favour.
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Earlier, it seemed Afghanistan would struggle to get past 120 but Nabi (60 off 22) hammered five sixes in the 20th over from left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage to collect 32 runs off the six legit balls.
It is unusual for a spinner to bowl the final over, but captain Charith Asalanka had already exhausted his pace bowling options.
Having not chased well in the recent past, Afghanistan opted to bat but lost three wickets inside the powerplay to lose the momentum generated in the first two overs that had yielded 26 runs.
The intent, which was missing in the last game, was there but Afghanistan batters did not know how to deal with the moving ball from Thushara, who produced late swing with his slingy action, catching the likes of Karim Janat (1) and Sediquallah Atal (18 off 14) off guard.
Thushara bowled an away swinger to right-hander Janat before a similar delivery led to the downfall of the dangerous left-hander Atal, who too saw his stumps disturbed.
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz was the first to get out, mistiming a wild slog that was pouched a wide slip.
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Wellalage and Wanindu Hasaranga put on the squeeze in the middle overs as the wickets kept on falling, reducing Afghanistan to 79 for six in the 13th over.
But courtesy skipper Rashid Khan (24 off 23) and his 35-run seventh-wicket stand with Nabi, Afghanistan were able to cross the 140-run mark. Rashid’s cameo included a no-look six in the cow corner region — a shot which now features regularly in his playbook.
Nabi smashed Dushmantha Chameera for three successive fours in the penultimate over that went for 17 runs. Chameera proved rather expensive on the night, leaking as many as 50 runs in his four overs.
Besides their impressive bowling effort, Sri Lanka’s fielding too was on point, well summed by the catches taken by Chameera and Kusal Perera in the deep to dismiss Ibrahim Zadran (24) and Darwish Rasooli.
