Sri Lanka thrash Afghanistan in 2nd T20I, take 2-0 lead
Sri Lanka outplayed Afghanistan in the second T20I at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Monday. The hosts registered a 72-run victory while taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. Following a decent batting performance which helped Sri Lanka post 187/6, the Lankan bowlers came out all guns blazing and bowled out Afghanistan for 115 in 17 overs.
Here's the match summary
Sri Lanka were off to a good start before they were derailed in the middle overs. Sadeera Samarawickrama and Angelo Mathews played crucial knocks while adding 66 runs together. This helped SL reach a decent total of 187/6. Mohammad Nabi starred with 2/25. In reply, Afghanistan never got going and were bundled out for only 115. Mathews returned with 2/9 from his two overs.
Sri Lanka openers added 45 runs
Sri Lanka were off to a flying start courtesy of their openers, Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis. The opening duo added 45 runs before they were both dismissed in the space of four deliveries. The blistering start given by the openers helped SL immensely even though they were derailed in the middle overs. Eventually, they achieved a decent total.
Samarawickrama anchored the SL innings
Samarawickrama slammed his maiden T20I fifty with a 42-ball 51 as he held one that ended up brilliantly. He allowed others to bat aggressively around him. He added 66 runs with Mathews, allowing SL to post a target much more than they intended. Eventually, it was the difference between the two teams. Samarawickrama has amassed 212 runs in 14 T20Is at 16.30.
A blistering knock from Mathews
Mathews came to the crease when Sri Lanka were 121/5 in 14.2 overs. He joined forces with Samarawickrama and they added crucial runs together. The veteran all-rounder slammed a 22-ball 42* which allowed the hosts to finish with a flourish. Mathews was at his dominant best as he tonked four maximums along with two boundaries. He has amassed 1,308 runs in 83 T20Is.
A look at Afghanistan's bowlers
Apart from Nabi and Fazalhaq Farooqi, all the other Afghan bowlers were taken to the cleaners. Nabi was the pick of the bowlers with 2/25 from his four overs. Azmatullah Omarzai also claimed two wickets despite being expensive on the night. Farooqi, who failed to pick up an early wicket, finished with 1/31. Naveen-ul-Haq also picked up a wicket but gave away 42 runs.
Afghanistan struggled in powerplay overs
Afghanistan lost the match when they were 40/5 in the powerplay overs. The Lankan bowlers were brilliant with their plans to outfox their counterparts. The trick of bringing in Hazratullah Zazai at the top of the order didn't work for the visitors. Even with an extra batter they struggled to get going and lacked application in the middle.
Mathews was brilliant with the new ball
Carrying confidence from his batting, Mathews made the new ball talk as he claimed the wickets of both the Afghanistan openers, Zazai and Ibrahim Zadran, in the first three overs of the innings. He finished the match with figures of 2/9 from two overs.
Second-fastest to 100 T20I wickets
Wanindu Hasaranga completed his 100 wickets in T20I cricket when he dismissed Najibullah Zadran. He also became the second-fastest bowler to reach 100 wickets as he achieved it in 63 T20Is. Rashid Khan, who completed the milestone in 53 T20Is, achieved it faster than the Lankan bowler. Hasaranga pipped Ireland's Ireland pacer Mark Adair to second place. The latter took 72 games.
SL bowlers gave a great account of themselves
Hasaranga, Mathews, Binura Fernando and Matheesha Pathirana claimed two wickets each while Maheesh Theekshana and Dasun Shanaka also returned with one wicket. While all the bowlers were brilliant, Mathews and Hasaranga were outstanding. Mathews gave nothing away with the new ball and picked up two crucial wickets. Meanwhile, Hasaranga also kept it tight and returned with 2/19 from his four overs.
Mohammad Nabi becomes second Afghanistan batter with 2,000 T20I runs
Afghanistan veteran Nabi has accomplished 2,000 runs in T20I cricket. Notably, he became the second Afghan batter to achieve the milestone. Nabi unlocked the feat in T20I cricket with his 24th run during his knock. Playing his 117th T20I, Nabi now owns 2,003 runs. He has maintained a decent strike rate of 139.19 while slamming five fifties.
