COLOMBO: Left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya’s five-wicket haul in the second innings led Sri Lanka to a perfect 10-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the one-off Test here on Monday.
Afghanistan’s batting lineup folded on 296 in the second innings despite Ibrahim Zadran’s maiden Test century, setting Sri Lanka a measly 56-run target.
The touring side resumed their second innings at an overnight score of 199/1 and could add 97 runs for their remaining wickets as Prabath Jayasuriya ran through their batting unit.
Ibrahim Zadran led Afghanistan’s batting charge and was supported well by Rahmat Shah, who scored a half-century. But after the pair were dismissed, Afghanistan folded quickly.
The opener remained the top-scorer for Afghanistan with a gutsy 114, featuring 12 boundaries while Shah was the next-best contributor with 54.
Middle-order batter Nasir Jamal retaliated amid Afghanistan’s collapse with an unbeaten 41 but ended up stranded at the other end when Asitha Fernando dismissed Mohammad Saleem to wrap up the innings.
Chasing a modest total, openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madushka took Sri Lanka to glory in just 7.2 overs.
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Karunaratne was the core aggressor of the match-winning stand with his 22-ball 32 which featured three boundaries and a six while Madushka scored an anchoring 22 off 23.
Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva acknowledged Afghanistan’s efforts, asserting that the touring side did well with the ball on the second day.
“When both Angelo (Mathews) and I got dismissed, it might not seem that bad but that was the point that Afghanistan felt they were back in the game,” he said.
“I think that was the crucial moment of the match. But our bowlers stuck to the plan all day (day 3), not giving runs away and keeping it tight.”
On the other hand, Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi expressed his disappointment over a daunting defeat despite a “good comeback”.
“I think it’s the lack of experience in Test cricket and also not having a lot of opportunities to play red-ball cricket,” Shahidi said.
“We’re new in Test cricket and it’s a learning process for us. I hope that we learn from this game.”
It is pertinent to mention that the one-off Test between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan was not part of the World Test Championship (WTC).
The two teams will now travel to Kandy where they will compete in a three-match ODI series ahead of a three-match T20I series in Dambulla.
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