Watch: Afghanistan picked up two wickets in two balls on Day Two against Sri Lanka today (February 3), when Dhananjaya de Silva was disastrously run out for a duck after being sent back by Angelo Mathews.
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Sri Lanka had batted their way into a good position after bowling Afghanistan out for 198 in Colombo. Both Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal scored centuries as the hosts reached 380-3 before the close of play. However, Chandimal was out late in the final session after he got a slight edge on a ball from Naveed Zadran, which was caught by the keeper.
That wicket brought De Silva to the crease to see out the final 20 minutes of play. His first ball from Zadran was full, to which he drove towards mid off and immediately set off for a single. Mathews, who wasn’t looking at his partner but had his eyes on the ball, started walking towards De Silva from the non-striker’s end. However, Hashmatullah Shahidi dove full length running round from cover, and was able to gather the ball.
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Mathews immediately signalled to De Silva to turn back, despite him being halfway down the pitch. There could have been time for De Silva to make his ground but the throw from Shahidi was pinpoint accurate, and De Silva ended up well short.
Mathews had his own disaster off the final ball of the day when he was out for 141, obliterating his own stumps as he tried to play a sweep shot to a long-hop down leg side. That wicket meant Sri Lanka finished Day Two on 410-6, leading Afghanistan by 212 runs.
Watch: Dhananjaya out for a golden duck after disastrous run out
Stunning bit of fielding by Hashmatullah Shahidi to dismiss DDS for a 🦆 on Captaincy debut! #SLvAFG pic.twitter.com/b59YyknM1d
— Estelle Vasudevan (@Estelle_Vasude1) February 3, 2024
