INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Pathum Nissanka&s historic double ton ensured Sri Lanka withstood a spirited Afghanistan counterattack to record a 42-run victory in the
first ODI at Pallekele and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.Set a stiff target of 382, Afghanistan reached 339 for six as Mohammad
Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai scored centuries after their team were reduced to 55-5, AFP reported.Nissanka&s unbeaten 210 was Sri Lanka&s
first ODI double hundred, breaking the island nation&s longstanding record highest score of 189 by Sanath Jayasuriya against India in
2000.It was also the joint fifth-highest individual score in ODIs.&We are absolutely thrilled with that performance,& Sri Lankan seamer
Pramod Madushan told reporters.&Great to be part of the dressing room in such an historic moment.&It was tough out there but Pathum did well
to soak up all the pressure and put us on top.&Sri Lanka&s 381-3 was also their biggest total at the ground and the team&s fourth-highest
overall.The unstoppable Nissanka&s knock included 20 fours and eight sixes from the 139 balls he faced in his first ODI since the World
Cup.Afghanistan stumbled early in their daunting chase, with the tourists losing five wickets inside nine overs.Madushan cut through the top
order for match figures of 4-75.Dushmantha Chameera took the other two wickets to fall but walked off the field halfway through his eighth
over, appearing to be suffering from back pain.Omarzai (149 not out) and Nabi (136) fought back aggressively with a 242-run stand for the
sixth wicket, Afghanistan&s second-highest for any wicket in ODIs, to briefly give Sri Lanka a fright.Omarzai&s maiden hundred came from a
flicked six off pacer Janith Liyanage.Sri Lanka&s innings saw Avishka Fernando score 88 from as many deliveries before he was caught by
Ibrahim Zadran at backward point in the 27th over.Skipper Kusal Mendis was next in but failed to make an impact and fell for a 31-ball
16.Sadeera Samarawickrama hit 44 off 36 deliveries in his 120-run partnership with Nissanka. The post Nissanka 210* outplays Omarzai, Nabi
tons as Sri Lanka win first ODI against Afghanistan first appeared on Ariana News.
