Sri Lanka have trounced Afghanistan by 42 runs in the opener of their three match One-Day International (ODI) series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium.
Afghanistan won the toss and invited the hosts to bat. Pathum Nissanka’s record double century helped Sri Lanka post a massive total of 381 runs for the loss of three wickets.
Set a stiff target of 382, Afghanistan reached 339 for six as Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai scored centuries.
Sri Lanka’s 381-3 was also their biggest total at the ground and the team’s fourth-highest overall score.
The unstoppable Nissanka’s knock included 20 fours and eight sixes from the 139 balls he faced in his first ODI since the World Cup.
Afghanistan struggled chasing down the big target and lost five wickets inside the first nine overs. Madushan cut through the top order for match figures of 4-75.
Dushmantha Chameera took the other two wickets to fall but walked off the field halfway through his eighth over, appearing to be suffering from back pain.
Omarzai (149 not out) and Nabi (136) fought back aggressively with a 242-run stand for the sixth wicket, Afghanistan’s second-highest for any wicket in ODIs, to briefly give Sri Lanka a fright.
The two sides will meet tomorrow in their second match of the series at the same venue in Colombo.
Kk/mud
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