Sri Lanka Clinches Victory in One-off Test Against Afghanistan

Colombo, Monday - In a decisive one-off Test match, Sri Lanka emerged victorious, defeating Afghanistan by 10 wickets with a day to spare in Colombo. The opening batsmen, Dimuth Karunaratne (32 not out) and Nishan Madushka (22 not out), efficiently chased down the modest target of 56 within 7.2 overs.*

Afghanistan had set Sri Lanka the target after being bowled out for 296 in their second innings. Despite fighting back in their second dig with Ibrahim Zadran's maiden Test hundred and Rahmat Shah's half-century, Afghanistan's innings folded quickly once the key pair was dismissed.

Sri Lanka's skipper, Dhananjaya de Silva, acknowledged Afghanistan's strong performance on day two with the ball. However, he emphasized that despite dismissals of Angelo Mathews and himself, the crucial moment of the match, Sri Lanka's bowlers stuck to their plan on day three, not giving away runs and keeping it tight.

Prabath Jayasuriya played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka's victory, finishing with his seventh five-wicket haul in Test cricket. He was named the man of the match for his stellar performance.*

The past few days have been difficult, but right now I'm incredibly delighted," Jayasuriya said. Considering the batting-friendly conditions, he emphasized the team's emphasis on completing the fundamentals correctly.

Afghanistan showed promise in extending the game to the final day when they resumed at 199 for one in their second innings on day four. However, the second new ball proved challenging as six wickets fell in the morning session for just 52 runs. Jayasuriya's effective use of the arm ball troubled Afghan batsmen, leading to his impressive five-wicket haul.

Despite the loss, Afghanistan's fast bowlers, particularly Naveed Zadran, showcased their skills, picking up four wickets in Sri Lanka's first innings on his debut.

Hundreds by former captains Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal powered Sri Lanka to their first-innings total of 439. The pair's record-breaking 232-run stand for the fourth wicket was the highest-scoring partnership at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club.

Afghanistan's captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, expressed disappointment at the loss but recognized the team's "good comeback." He attributed the defeat to the team's lack of experience in Test cricket and limited opportunities to play red-ball cricket.

The match, although not part of the World Test Championship, sets the stage for the teams to transition to the limited-overs formats. The series will continue with a three-match ODI series in Kandy, followed by three T20 Internationals in Dambulla.