Sri Lanka
clinched a comfortable 10-wicket victory on Monday in the one-off Test against
Afghanistan
in
Colombo
.
Afghanistan, having been bowled out for 296 in their second innings, set a modest target of 56 for Sri Lanka. The openers, Dimuth Karunaratne (32 not out) and Nishan Madushka (22 not out), chased down the required runs in 7.2 overs.
Afghanistan faced an uphill battle after conceding a 241-run lead in the first innings, but they showed resilience in their second innings, especially with Ibrahim Zadran scoring his maiden Test hundred. Rahmat Shah also contributed with a half-century, but once the key pair was dismissed, Afghanistan collapsed.
Prabath Jayasuriya claimed his seventh five-wicket haul in Test cricket, finishing with figures of five for 107. The morning session of day four saw Afghanistan losing six wickets for just 52 runs, as the second new ball proved challenging for the batsmen.
Seamer Kasun Rajitha removed Rahmat for 54, while left-arm spinner Jayasuriya exploited the bounce and turn offered by the new ball to dismantle the middle order.
Jayasuriya's arm ball proved effective in foxing batsmen expecting turn, including Ibrahim Zadran, who was bowled through the gate after a resilient century.
Despite Afghanistan's loss, their fast bowlers, especially Naveed Zadran, impressed, with Naveed picking up four wickets on his debut in Sri Lanka's first innings.
Noteworthy performances from former captains Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal, who scored hundreds, contributed to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 439.
The match, not part of the World Test Championship, concluded with Jayasuriya as the 'Man of the Match', securing eight wickets in total, including three in the first innings.
Looking ahead, the teams will head to Kandy for a three-match ODI series, followed by three T20 Internationals in Dambulla.
(With AFP inputs)
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