Sri Lanka – Afghanistan 3rd ODI Sri Lanka demolish Afghanistan to clinch series win

Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera (L) celebrates after taking the wicket of Afghanistan’s Najibullah Zadran during the third and final one-day international (ODI) 

Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka (R) celebrates after  scoring a half-century (50 runs) with Dimuth Karunaratne during the  third and final one-day international (ODI) cricket match between Sri  Lanka and Afghanistan at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket  Stadium in Hambantota

By M. Shamil Amit   

Sri Lanka demolished the hapless Afghanistan side by nine wickets in the third and deciding ODI encounter played at the Sooriyawewa Stadium and in the process with the back to back wins they went on to clinch the series.   

It was the bowling trio right arm pacies Dushmantha Chameera and Lahiru Kumara along with spinner Wanindu Hasaranga who laid the foundation for the host sides’ comprehensive win as they shared nine wickets between them to send Afghanistan reeling for a low score of just 116 runs with the innings lasting just 22.2 overs.   

Chameera and Kumara had the visitors batting in tatters and before the completion of nine overs they were tottering on 48 for 4. Najibullah Zadran and Mohamed Nabi came to their rescue as they put in some stiff resistance but succeeded to add only 24 runs for the fifth wicket which turned out to be the significant partnership of the innings.   

The separation of the pair saw them falling back again, from 72 for 5 in the 13th over and with the introduction spinners Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana they lost three quick wickets for the addition of 20 runs and was struggling on 92 for 8 before Hasaranga who ended with three scalps cleaned off the tail to bundle them out for a meager 116 runs.   
In Sri Lanka’s run chase the openers Pathum Nissanka and Dimuth Karunaratne sent the Afghanistan bowler on a leather hunt and posted Sri Lanka’s 50 runs on the board in just 37 balls.   

Even though Rashid Khan who made a comeback having skipped the first two matches due to injuries, his introduction of Sri Lanka’s eighth over of the innings was not going to make any difference as at that stage just needed 56 runs with plenty of overs remaining.   

Nissanka raced to his half ton in 32 balls which in fact was his fastest in limited overs which had eight boundaries and two sixes but he was dismissed one run later having shared a valuable opening wicket stand of 84 runs.   

That was all the success that the Afghanistan bowlers were able to muster as Karunaratne joined by Kusal Mendis saw them with ease and in between Karunaratne reached his half ton that took him 43 balls which had seven boundaries, it was his eighth ODI half ton and the second successive of the series.   

Fittingly Karunaratne saw the Sri Lankans through to victory which was helped by the misfielding and overthrow which ensured five runs for the host side to race to the target in just 16 overs.   

Dushmatha Cahmeera was adjudged the man of the match and also the man of the series.