Faulty counting triggers Afghanistan’s exit; Sri Lanka alive in Asia Cup

Rashid Khan buried his face in his fingers as Mujeeb Ur Rahman holed out to lengthy on the place Sadeera Samarawickrama took the providing and tumbled on to the bottom off the primary ball of the thirty eighth over. In the Afghanistan dressing room, they regarded inconsolable. Needing three extra runs in pursuit of 291/8, they needed to get there in 37.1 overs to make it to the Super 4’s stage on the expense of Sri Lanka. It regarded all however over. But solely it didn’t. There was nonetheless loads of life in it. But solely any individual forgot to inform the Afghans. Their head coach Jonathan Trott, who sat for a serious a part of the previous couple of overs chewing his nails, ought to have accomplished higher.

With a wicket nonetheless in hand, had they bought to 295 in 37.4 overs, they might have nonetheless boarded the flight from Lahore to Colombo to play the Super 4s. It was a schoolboy mathematical error: to qualify, they wanted six runs off 4 deliveries and although that they had just one wicket in hand, with Rashid batting on 27 of 16 deliveries, it was very a lot of their limits. Instead, their eyes and thoughts didn’t look past the goal which at that stage was three runs of 1 supply. Had they managed to get two runs off the primary ball of the thirty eighth over, they might have gotten three extra balls to get six runs.

It was such a skinny margin which determined Sri Lanka’s passage to the Super 4 stage, the place they are going to be joined by Bangladesh from Group B.

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The Asia Cup, having seen a number of damp squibs over the previous few days in Pallekele, got here alive in Lahore. It was maybe the form of contest that was wanted, the place the feelings overflowed within the dressing rooms and within the stands of the Gaddafi Stadium. It was a recreation which Sri Lanka might have very a lot ended up on the shedding aspect had Afghanistan did higher homework earlier than they started their chase. Only Mark Boucher’s resolution to defend Muttiah Muralitharan with one run wanted (DLS) when the heavens opened up in Durban in the course of the 2003 World Cup comes near the foolish mathematical error that Afghanistan endured.

From the second Sri Lanka, driving on Kusal Mendis 92 off 84 deliveries, put 291/8, the sport was heading for grand end. In the earlier match in opposition to Bangladesh, chasing 335 Afghanistan had began on a powerful notice earlier than operating out of steam. So with massive hitters of their ranks, who’re all able to pulling off heists, even a required run-rate of seven.83 didn’t look all that daunting. After all, it was about two T20 innings, put collectively.

In that sense, Sri Lanka had been actually lucky to get out of jail, for they might have gone residence and never been a part of the social gathering on their very own shores. It was a night the place they badly needed Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana to return good, however Afghanistan even with a required run-rate of over 7, had been ready to attain at 6 an over off them and goal these round them. As a end result, Kasun Rajitha conceded 79 off 10 overs, Dasun Shanka 32 in two overs, Dunith Wellalage 36 in 4 overs. At one stage, Afghanistan’s chase appeared to stumble, just like what had transpired in opposition to Bangladesh. Having misplaced 4 wickets for 121 runs in 18.4 overs, it was captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (59 off 66) and Mohammad Nabi (65 off 32) who introduced them again into the sport stitching collectively a 80-run partnership off 47 deliveries. Until a mathematical error did them in.