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ToggleSri Lanka wicketkeeper Sadeera Samarawickrama, stunned fans and experts with an extraordinary catch during the ongoing one-off Test against Afghanistan in Colombo. Sadeera Samarawickrama’s brilliance has garnered praise from the cricketing community.
Sri Lanka is currently taking on the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side at the Sinhalese Sports Club, marking a historic occasion as the two nations compete in Test cricket for the first time. It’s noteworthy that this match isn’t part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).
Watch – Sadeera Samarawickrama’s Exceptional Glove Work
The incident took place in the 46th over of Afghanistan’s first innings. Rahmat Shah scored a fluent half-century but fell just nine runs short of his second Test century. Sadeera Samarawickrama showcased brilliance behind the stumps to dismiss Shah for 91 runs.
Samarawickrama anticipated Rahmat Shah’s paddle sweep, swiftly adjusting to his left before the batter executed the shot. The Sri Lankan wicketkeeper skillfully caught the ball with his left glove near his shin and then maintained a secure hold of it with both hands.
An outrageous catch from Sadeera Samarawickrama…!!! 🤯
– The presence of minds…!!! 🔥pic.twitter.com/fPiFHo1g8n
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 2, 2024
Sadeera Samarawickrama emerged as a crucial player for Sri Lanka, amassing more than 1,000 runs across formats in the previous year. During the ODI World Cup 2023 in India, the 28-year-old scored 373 runs at an impressive average of 53.28 and a strike rate of 102.19.
Sri Lanka Bowl Out Afghanistan For 198 Runs In First innings
Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva won the toss and elected to bowl first. Asitha Fernando dismissed Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran for a duck on the second ball of the match. Noor Ali Zadran and Rahmat Shah formed a decent partnership for the second wicket.
Vishwa Fernando ended the partnership by removing Noor Ali Zadran for 31 runs. Rahmat Shah continued to build a partnership with his captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi (17). However, the visiting team lost the wickets of Shahidi and Nasir Jamal in quick succession.
The hosts dismissed the opposition for 198 runs in 62.4 overs. Rahmat Shah was the top scorer with 91 runs, followed by Noor Ali Zadran, who contributed 31. Vishwa Fernando claimed four wickets, while Prabath Jayasuriya and Asitha Fernando secured three wickets each.
The Afghanistan national cricket team is facing the Sri Lanka national cricket team for the first time in red-ball cricket. The Afghanistan team has played seven Test matches so far. Notably, Afghanistan secured victories in two out of six Test series, including victories against Ireland and Bangladesh in 2019.
Brief Scores: Afghanistan 198 (Rahmat Shah 91, Noor Ali Zadran 31, Vishwa Fernando 4/51, Asitha Fernando 3/24, Prabath Jayasuriya 3/67)
Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Playing XI In One-Off Test Match In Colombo
Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Nasir Jamal, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Zia-ur-Rehman, Qais Ahmad, Nijat Masood, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Naveed Zadran
Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva(c), Sadeera Samarawickrama(w), Chamika Gunasekara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando
Also read: BAN vs SL: Watch – Sadeera Samarawickrama, Najmul Hossain Shanto Engaged In Verbal Spat
