Too much noticeable difference between strong and weak teams is yet to be traced in the Cricket World Cup 2015. The Sri Lanka-Afghanistan Pool A match at University Oval in Dunedin has once again proved that the gaps between robust and feeble team are closing.

Afghanistan unfortunately couldn’t win the match in the end. However, they deserve the credit as they have given a major shock and threat to strong Sri Lanka.

It was a storm passed over Mahela Jayawardene and Agelo Matthews on Sunday! The pair finished off what Mahela Jayawardene (100) and Angelo Mathews (44) had started after Sri Lanka had been reduced to 51 for four by the World Cup debutants as they chased 233 for victory. They had been able to cope up with the storm through their experience.

The 233-run target in the Dunedin’s wicket is not too bad. Afghanistan could able to form a ‘fighting’ score building a short-short partnership against Sri Lanka’s formidable bowling attack.  

In the bouncy wicket, Batsmen have to fight at the first 12 overs in the bouncy wicket. Afghanistan batsmen have produced a good accumulation of runs spending their intelligence of batting. 

Afghan bowlers tremendously agonised Sri Lankan batsmen.

After falling four wickets for 51 runs, it seemed the Lankan batsmen probably couldn’t able to bounce back. Mahela Jayawardene survived providing a chance of run out when he was 45 runs. Afghanistan could seal victory of the match if the run out did.

The 126-run partnership from fifth-wicket between Jayawardene and Mathews was turning point of the game. Thisara Perera, an aggressive lower-order batsman, then took the game away with some big hitting and finished on 47 as his side made 236-6 with 10 balls to spare.  Perera hit some spectacular shots under pressure. The former world champions received two points winning the game after dropping a lot of perspiration.  

Minhajul Abedin Nannu: Selector of Bangladesh Cricket Board and former captain of Bangladesh cricket team. He is the first Man of the Match of Bangladesh in World Cup.   

Translated by Sheikh Khalil Sohel