Afganistan conquer the hills of Pallekelle – BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE (eLanka Sports editor)
Afganistan exposed Sri Lanka’s pathetic standing in world cricket with a ruthless annihilation of the home team at Pallekelle.
The visitors showed no qualms about the opposition or the unfamiliarity of Sri Lankan conditions batting with authority and treating the Sri Lanka attack with disdain to post a imposing 294 for 8 in their allotment.
They then clinically dissected and demolished the now established Sri Lanka batting inconsistency, mainly in the middle order, which has been a contentious issue for quite a while, to coast to a easy 60-run win.
They bowled the hapless Lankans out in just 34 overs.
Only Pathum Nissanka, 85 off 83 balls, and Wanindu Hasarsnga De Silva, 66 off 46 balls showed enough class and aggression to take the challenge to the visitors and save them of more embarrassment and blushes.
On an easy paced track in Sri Lanka’s Hill capital, Afghanistan’s batters led by century maker Ibrahim Zadran 106 off 120 balls, Rahmanullah Gurbaz 53 off 55 balls, Rahmat Shah 62 off 64 balls, and Najibullah Zadran 42 off 25 balls found little terrors in an attack that carries a fair reputation. But they paced their build up through an allround effort unlike the Lankans who are dependent on just a couple to fire on their day.
In fact the Afgans worked to a patient strategy, posting 84 for the opening stand between Gurbaz and Zadran within 15 overs before launching the match winning partnership between Zadran and Shah which carried them to 202 in the 42nd over before the final assault which carried them to their match winning total.
Sri Lanka’s plight puts them in another fall from grace where lying 10th in the world rankings, they may be forced to qualify for the upcoming World Cup similar to their recent experience in the T20 World Cup in Australia.
There is an obvious lack of application apart from consistency in the ranks of a team in a rebuilding phase which raises the questions about diluting the mix with some tried and proven performers such as Angelo Matthews, Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne and a few others whose experience can bolster a brittle batting line-up that needs serious addressing.
The next few games will unravel what their future holds while the newer entrants to the cricketing world show off their superior skills.
