Watch: Afghanistan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi picked up 4-49 against Sri Lanka on Friday. He hit the stumps for all of his wickets, with a sharp incoming delivery to Dinesh Chandimal arguably the pick of the bunch.
Batting first, Afghanistan put up 294-8. Sri Lanka got off to a brisk start and were threatening to hunt down the total. Despite the early loss of Kusal Mendis, they had rattled along to 35-1 after 6.1 overs. Farooqi then produced an exceptional ball to dismiss Chandimal and tilt the momentum in Afghanistan’s favour. Bowling from around the wicket, he pitched the ball back of a length outside off stump. Chandimal had a waft at it but could only watch in disbelief as the ball cut him in half, nipped past the inside edge and smashed into the top of off stump.
Later in the innings, Farooqi returned to account for Pathum Nissanka (85), Sri Lanka’s highest run-scorer on the night. He angled the ball across Nissanka and he could only drag it onto his stumps. He then produced a searing yorker to breeze past Dhananjay Lakshan’s defences before castling Wanindu Hasaranga to secure a 60-run win for Afghanistan. Gulbadin Naib did his bit with 3-34.
Batting first, Afghanistan were aided by Ibrahim Zadran’s 106. Ibrahim added 84 for the first wicket with Rahmanullah Gurbaz (53) and 118 for the second, with Rahmat Shah (52). Najibullah Zadran then made a 25-ball 42 to take Afghanistan to 294-8.
