{ "id": "138248", "author": "26", "cnmid": "", "title": "Sri Lanka Celebrate 3-0 Sweep Against Afghanistan", "lang": "en", "series": "1", "cup_year": "2024", "article_type": "General", "excerpt": "Sri Lanka completed a sweep of the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, confidently beating the tourists in the final game by seven wickets Wednesday at Pallekele.", "subtype": null, "editor1": "

Sri Lanka completed a sweep of the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, confidently beating the tourists in the final game by seven wickets Wednesday at Pallekele.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Set a target of 267, Sri Lanka won with 88 balls remaining, as their domination of the opponents continued.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Opening batsman Pathum Nissanka smashed his fifth one-day international hundred and the second in the series for the hosts.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Nissanka finished the series with 346 runs, the most by a Sri Lankan in a three-match series.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Roshan Mahanama had posted 267 runs in three ODIs against Zimbabwe in 1994, but Nissanka's effort is now the highest by a distance.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

It is also the fourth highest tally in a three-match series in the world.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Nissanka had posted an unbeaten 210 in the first game, becoming the first Sri Lankan to score a double hundred in ODI cricket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

He also became the fastest Sri Lankan to the 2,000 ODI runs milestone in just 52 innings -- breaking the record of Upul Tharanga, who had required 63 innings for the feat.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Nissanka, who said he had had "no idea" he would take the record, said he was "really thankful" to his first coach -- his father.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Sri Lanka cruised to the target with the openers adding 173 runs for the first wicket in just 138 deliveries.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Avishka Fernando set the run chase up, reaching his half-century in just 24 balls, with consecutive sixes off Fareed Ahmad.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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But he threw away his wicket just nine runs short of a century, and his 91 came off 66 balls with 10 fours and five monstrous sixes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

- 'Really good cricket' -<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Nissanka was relatively slow off the blocks, reaching his half-century in 55 balls, but the next 50 came in just 34 balls as Afghanistan's bowlers ran out of ideas.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Captain Kusal Mendis joined the party, racing to 40 from 29 balls with four sixes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Nissanka was dismissed for 118 with just 14 runs needed for the win. He faced 101 balls and hit 16 fours and two sixes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The tourists badly missed their two experienced spinners Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who are out injured.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

"The result didn't go our way," said skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi. "Sri Lanka played really good cricket in all three departments, so credit goes to them."<\/p>\r\n\r\n

After electing to bat first, Afghanistan's effort was far from convincing, especially the collapse at the tail end of their innings.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

At 223 for four heading into the last 10 overs, a total in excess of 300 was on the cards.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

But they lost the last six wickets for just 43 runs, and were bowled out inside 50 overs.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Rahmat Shah (65) and Azmatullah Omarzai (54) posted half-centuries, giving Afghanistan a solid platform, but the middle order caved in without a fight.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Sri Lanka's Pramod Madushan was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with three wickets, while Asitha Fernando, Dunith Wellalage and Akila Dananjaya finished with two wickets each.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Off-spinner Dananjaya was making a comeback to the side after being forced to remodel his action in 2021 having been reported for a suspect action.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Sri Lanka secured a comfortable 42-run win over Afghanistan in the first ODI, and a convincing 155-run win in the second.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Also Read: <\/b> Join Our WhatsApp Channel For World Cup Updates<\/a><\/p>

The teams now face a three-match T20 series, opening in Dambulla on February 17.<\/p>\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Sri-Lanka-Celebrate-3-0-Sweep-Against-Afghanistan.jpg", "alt_img": "Sri Lanka Celebrate 3-0 Sweep Against Afghanistan", "alt_title": "SL beat Afghanistan by 7 wickets in 3rd ODI", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Sri Lanka Celebrate 3-0 Sweep Against Afghanistan On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Sri Lanka completed a sweep of the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, confidently beating the tourists in the final game by seven wickets Wednesday at Pallekele.", "seo_keywords": " Sri Lanka Vs Afghanistan", "tag": null, "tagging": "Sri Lanka Vs Afghanistan, Sri Lanka Vs Afghanistan", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "sri-lanka-celebrate-3-0-sweep-against-afghanistan", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "1", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "1223", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "1", "created": "2024-02-14 22:46:05", "updated": "2024-02-14 22:46:05", "img_from": "Image Source: Google", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "Sri Lanka Vs Afghanistan", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "0", "google_feed": "0", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "1", "jio_date": "2024-02-14 22:46:05", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "1", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": "Select", "article_content_type": null, "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/sri-lanka-celebrate-3-0-sweep-against-afghanistan-138248" }