10:06pm Right. That will be that from us for tonight. Hope you enjoyed our coverage. Do join us again on Sunday as Sri Lanka look to bounce back in this series and Afghanistan try to make history. Until then, this is me (Shashwat) signing off on behalf of Thilak and Madushka. Goodbye, goodnight and take care!
Ibrahim Zadran, Player of the Match: (About the innings) I am really happy with my innings and how I played. I am very thankful to the almighty. We wanted to bat first if we won the toss and it happened like that. The wicket was pretty good for batting and I took my time on the wicket and played well. There is no change in the wicket (in the second innings). After 10 overs, I passed the message that we should go for 320 runs. Our bowlers bowled really well and they did not allow the opposition batters to play well.
Dasun Shanaka, Sri Lanka captain: (Where it went wrong) It is disappointing. We didn't execute our plans while bowling. Toss is important but it was a really good wicket. We got 230 in 38 overs, the partnerships did not come from us. (On death-bowling) In the middle phase, we did not control well but in the end, we did a good job, especially Rajitha, Dhananjay and Wanindu. (On batters getting starts) The difference between the two sides is partnerships. They played around Ibrahim and three others played around him. It is disappointing we did not convert it to make it a win. (On qualification for the ODI World Cup next year) We have to win three games out of five and we are looking forward to that.
Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan captain: Feeling good, the way the boys played, the way we started and ended the innings, I am proud of my team. Last seven overs we did not play the way we wanted. We were some 30 runs short. But still our bowlers did very well and gave a good performance. (Bowling plans) The plan was simple. To just bowl wicket to wicket and bowl as many dot balls. That was our plan.
Let's hear what the players have to say!
END OF OVER:50 | 5 Runs 2 Wkts | AFG: 294/8 | RR: 5.88
- Yamin Ahmadzai0 (1b)
- Mujeeb Ur Rahman1 (1b)
- Kasun Rajitha10-0-56-1
- Dhananjaya Lakshan6-0-43-1
Looks like we have an exciting run-chase on our hands. Do join us in a bit for the second innings, where Madushka will be back to take you through the opening exchanges!
6:13pm Phew! That was some innings. Afghanistan got off to a storming start, with Gurbaz blazing away to a fifty. They had a bit of a lull thereafter but Ibrahim and Rahmat did brilliantly to keep things ticking and set up an adequate foundation. The former reached his hundred and alongside Najibullah, seemed to have propelled Afghanistan to a total in excess of 300. Sri Lanka, though, came back towards the end, through a combination of excellent variations and some dodgy Afghanistan batting and running between the wickets. If you would have given Afghanistan 294 to defend before a ball had been bowled, they would have bitten your hand off. But considering where they were after 45 overs, they would be ruing the fact that they could not score more runs.
Yamin to face the final ball
Hashmatullah Shahidi run out 2 (7m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 100.00
Mujeeb is the new batter at the crease
Mohammad Nabi c Lakshan b Rajitha 2 (8m 3b 0x4 0x6) SR: 66.66
Skipper Shahidi has joined Nabi out in the middle, amidst all the drama elsewhere. Can he get a couple of boundaries away, or will he look to feed Nabi the strike?
Afghanistan have gotten up to 289 after 49 overs. Can Nabi power them to 300? He will be up against Rajitha
