Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Highlights, 3rd ODI: Pathum Nissanka scores a ton as SL win by seven wickets to clean sweep AFG 3-0

Sadeera Samarawickrama pickpockets a boundary off a full toss and that's that. Sri Lanka win the third ODI in Pallekele by seven wickets and trump Aghanistan 3-0 in the series.

Domination from start to finish! Sri Lanka sweep the ODI series against Afghanistan 3??-0??, winning the final match by 7 wickets. ?????#SLvAFG pic.twitter.com/9D5g4LO6ib

— Sri Lanka Cricket ?? (@OfficialSLC) February 14, 2024

Sri Lanka can literally smell the win - a clean sweep - from where they stand now and yet, can't finish on a perfect note. Two wickets in quick succession to spoil the occasion a bit. Kusal Mendis and the man of the moment - and the series - Pathum Nissanka are back in the hut. Mohammad Nabi and Qais Ahmed get the wickets. Sri Lanka 13 runs away from the win off the remaining 17 overs.

Another day, another Pathum Nissanka triple figure score. This time, it's a neatly wolven hundred, less than a week after that superb double hundred - the first by a Sri Lankan. The opener has been in sumptuous form and is driving Sri Lanka towards a clean sweep.

Sharafuddin Ashraf in the attack now and Mendis has smoked the first ball over the long on boundary for a huge six!! Right in the middle of the bat!! A no ball next and it's all going wrong for Afghanistan. Nissanka on strike and he smashes the free hit over the bowler's head  and into the fence for a four!! Takes a single next and he goes to 97. 200 up for SL. Takes 2 tpo go to 99 does Nissanka. 205/1 after 27 overs

Qais Ahmad in to bowl the 23rd over and Fernando shows no mercy with back to back boundaries off the over!! Tries for another shot over extra cover and it's an easy catch for Ashraf. 173/1 after 23 overs

Qais Ahmad in the attack again and the boundaries are not stopping!! The fifth delivery is pumped over the boundary by Nissanka for a huge six before the last ball goes through everyone and results in 4 byes. 157/0 after 21 overs

Fareed Ahmad back in the attack and after a couple of quiet balls, Fernando continues the fireworks with a huge 6!! Over the deep backward square boundary. A chance now to get rid of Nissanka and the fielder has missed the catch!! All going wrong for Afghanistan. 144/0 after 20 overs 

Nabi will continue and starts with a wayward ball which goes for a four as Nissanka pounches on it. Fernando on strike next and he smokes Nabi for a six next as the runs keep coming. 13 from the over. 131/0 after 18 overs

Qais Ahmad in the attack now and Nissanka welcomes him with a four to deep midwicket. They are really not holding back here. 6 off the over ultimately. 118/0 after 17 overs

Nabi will continue and Nissanka sweeps his 4th ball for a fifty!! Was a shot that he would not have attempted in other circumstances but luck has been on SL's side. 112/0 after 16 overs.

Nabi in to bowl the 14th and gives away three runs from the first 5 deliveries before the last one ends with a dot. 100 up for SL in this over. 100/0 after 14 overs

Sharafuddin Ashraf in the attack and Nissanka smashes him for a six in the very first ball. These two batters are not letting Ashraf settle at the moment. 4 runs from the next few deliveries and the bowler almost gets Nissanka with a ball with a wicket turn. How did that miss the stumps? 97/0 after 13 overs

Mohammad Nabi introduced in the attack now. Nissanka and Fernando are cautious in the early goings of this over. Just a single from it ultimately.   87/0 after 12 overs

The onslaught from the hosts continues. It has been an absolute smothering from the Lankan openers. Two sixes right at the end of that powerplay in which they've assimilated as many as 85 runs. 

Azmatullah to Nissanka, appeal for leg before wicket. Nothing from the umpire, but Omarzai and Gurbaz both are convinced and manage to get the word to their skipper. Up they go for the review. The bounce of the surface comes into play. It had certainly nipped back enough to hit the stumps but the ball trajectory is over the stumps. Nissanka survives and makes full use of the lifeline with meeting a fullish delivery from Omarzai later in the over with the full face of the bat. 36/0 after six overs.

Azmatullah Omarzai's second over may have come as a bit of a breathing space for the Afghans, but the Lankans are quickly back to getting those boundaries in the powerplay. Avishka Fernando is struck for a fourth boundary into his third over. But there's more trouble for the visitors. Ikram Alikhil goes down and the physio rushes onto the ground. The Afghan keeper coped a blow on his left hand and Rahmanullah Gurbaz is on his way to the pavilion. Maybe to don the keeping gloves? Noor Ahmed comes on as a fielding sub.

After a good 20 minute delay, courtesy of rain and the wet outfield, we're finally set to get the ball rolling in Pallekele for the chase of 267 in third and last ODI. Finally, Pathum Nissanka and Avishka Fernando walk into the middle. And Nissanka is off to a flying start. 

Fazalhaq Farooqi is driven through covers for the first set of runs for the Lankans - four. Azmatullah Omarzai goes short, and is embraced with a fierce square cut for he same result. Avishka Fernando also gets off the mark with a boundary. 17 runs off the first two overs itself. 

INNINGS CHANGE! ?

AfghanAtalan finished on 266 runs in the first inning with major contributions coming in from the bat of @RahmatShah_08 (65), @AzmatOmarzay (54) and @RGurbaz_21 (48). ?#AfghanAtalan | #SLvAFG2024 pic.twitter.com/Hl8sG2IzC1

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) February 14, 2024

Asitha Fernando to Fareed Ahmad. Nails the yorker and he has to go. Asitha Fernando fires in the fuller ball and Fareed Ahmad failed to dig it out. That was fast and full.  

Then, Pramod Madushan removes Qais Ahmad to end the Afghan innings. From 166/3 to 266 all out, this has been an excellent turnaround from the Sri Lankans.

Asitha Fernando to Fareed Ahmad. Nails the yorker and he has to go. Asitha Fernando fires in the fuller ball and Fareed Ahmad failed to dig it out. That was fast and full.  

Then, Pramod Madushan removes Qais Ahmad to end the Afghan innings. From 166/3 to 266 all out, this has been an excellent turnaround from the Sri Lankans.

Pramod Madushan strikes twice in the 47th over. Sharafuddin Ashraf and Mohammad Nabi back in the hut. Afghanistan haven't been able to find the semblance they had in the initial 30 overs of this match and it might just turn out to be difference between the two sides on the night. 256/8 after 48 overs.

Akila Dananjaya to Mohammad Nabi. A tossed up delivery outside the off stump and Nabi slaps it over long on for six. That was struck with disdain. 10 runs from 46th over.

Asitha Fernando to Azmatullah Omarzai. He got that to reverse for sure. The ball tailed in late, hit the boot and then the ball dribbled on to the sticks. The batter backed away to scoop it but failed to connect on it as the ball swirled a little and late as well. 

A disciplined start to the final set of overs from the Lankans. Just the six runs off the first three overs. But Omarzai gets his fifty. His fifth in the format. What a player he has been of late for the Afghans. 233/5 after 43 overs.

Finally, Ikram Alikhil's aggressive ploy backfires. Dunith Wellalage with the wicket. Spins one back into the right hander sharply and it clips the top of off. Sri Lanka have a fifth wicket and it's come just ahead of the 41st over. Afghanistan surely would've wanted two set betters going into the final powerplay. 224/5 reads the scoreboard.

Right then, Alikhil has decided he ain't holding back from here. A devastating straight batted hit over long on for six off Pramod Madhushan. Fifty run partnership up between him and Omarzai. 11 runs from the 38th over. 220/4, Afghanistan.

Ikram Alikhil is the new man in for Afghanistan. Can he muster another crucial partnership here for the Afghans alongside Azmatullah Omarzai, who has now settled well? A good first boundary to get off the mark. A flighted delivery on the off stump from Dananjaya, but Alikhil pushes back into his crease before going inside out over covers for four. 191/4 after 34 overs.

Wellalage to Rahmat Shah, OUT!

A flatter one and Shah, in the attempt to sweep it, misses on the length completely and ends up being deemed plumb. He goes for the review regardless, no changing his fate though. The partnership is broken and Sri Lanka have a way back into this game. 166/4 after 30 overs.

Afghanistan is batting well they have laid a steady foundation to post a decent total on the board. The onus is on the Sri Lankan bowlers for not letting the batters get away with the game here. 

Rahmat Shah has scored 50 here and has played a sublime knock so far. Akhila Dhananya is the bowler who has done well for Sri Lanka so far.

WCKET! Edged and taken! A nicely tossed-up delivery from Dananjaya outside the off-stump and Shahidi pokes hard at it. Regulation outside-edge and Nissanka gobbles up a simple catch at first-slip. AFG 108/3 in 20 overs.

WICKET! Dananjaya strikes in his second over. Gurbaz throws it away as he attempts an expansive sweep after moving across the line. The big lunge takes him forward but Dananjaya turns it sharply from length to hit the leg-stump. Gurbaz falls for 48. AFG 99/2 in 18 overs

Akila Dananjaya enters the attack. He drifts one towards the pads but Gurbaz makes enough room to clear his front leg and launch the ball down the ground for FOUR. AFG 91/1 in 16 overs

Rahmat pushes for a quick single from the non-striker's but cops a blow flush on his rubs from mid-wicket. He is in some pain as the physio hops in. Madushanka slips through his variations and keep the betters rooted to the crease. Five from the over. AFG 78/1 in 14 overs

The scoring rate has dropped but Rahmanullah has been on song, rotating strike effectively to keep the scoreboard moving. Wellalage skims through another tidy over. 

After a string of dots, Rahmat Shah stands up to the bouncer and pulls it in front of square off Asitha for FOUR. AFG 62/1 in 9 overs.

Asitha attempts to shape the ball away from length but Gurbaz charges and pumps it down the ground for SIX. Fifty up for Afghanistan in quick time. 

WICKET! A superb run-out from Avishka Fernando. Ibrahim pushes Asitha through cover but a brilliant pick-up and throw from Avishka has Ibrahim short of the crease at the non-striker's. Brilliant reactions there by the fielder. AFG 39/1 in 5 overs.

Madushan loses his line and the ball brushes Zadran's pad and races to the fine-leg fence for four. Madushan overpitches and Zadran leans into a superb drive through cover for FOUR. Another poor delivery down leg and Zadran hooks it behind square for another FOUR. AFG 36/0 in 4 overs

Ibrahim is off the mark with a thick slash past first-slip for FOUR. Madushanka corrects his line and shapes the ball in toward the stumps. AFG 24/0 in 3 overs

Pramod Madushan operates from the opposite end. He pins Gurbaz to the crease with some movement away from length. Five dots and Gurbaz retains strike with a brisk single. AFG 18/0 in 2 overs

Gurbaz opens his account with a wristy flick past mid-on for FOUR. No movement for Madushanka up front and he offers length for Gurbaz to work with. Madushanka slides one towards the off-stump and Gurbaz effortlessly steers it down to third for another FOUR. Madushanka overpitches and Gurbaz creams the ball down the ground for another FOUR! That's four in a row! Streaky this time but Gurbaz gets an inside-edge to zip past leg-stump down to the fine-leg fence for another FOUR. 17 from the opening over!

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran walk out to open the batting for Afghanistan. Dilshan Madushanka to open the proceedings for Sri Lanka.

Farveez Maharoof says the game will be played on the same pitch as the previous game. Although there could be considerably good bounce, he senses it is a much drier strip. A 270-280 total batting first should be enough, Maharoof reckons. The dew could also play its part.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi(c), Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil(w), Sharafuddin Ashraf, Qais Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Fareed Ahmad Malik

Pathum Nissanka, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis(w/c), Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Janith Liyanage, Dunith Wellalage, Akila Dananjaya, Asitha Fernando, Pramod Madushan, Dilshan Madushanka

Hello and welcome to our live blog for the 3rd ODI between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. While in the context of the series, there is not a lot we still might see some enthralling cricket matches today. If you are lover of the game sit back and relax and follow our live blog we are going to give updates and analysis on all the live action that will be going on from Pallekele