Sri Lanka 324 for 5 in 49.2 overs (Kusal 143, Avishka 100, Dafi 3-41) Beat New Zealand 175 for 9 in 27 overs (Young 48, Robinson 35, Bracewell 34*, Madushaka 3-39) 45 runs (DLS Law)
Finally, New Zealand was not found close to 221, requiring 27 overs. They reached 175 for 9, to lift them with the required rate with very low shelling in their lower order, and in the Sri Lankan attack, it was found too much that they were allowed to enrich them after collapse.
However, the primary architects of Sri Lanka’s victory were Kusal and Avishka. His partnership was the highest for the second wicket in the men’s ODI among these aspects. Kusal’s 143 running 128 was also his highest personal score. And his propelling Sri Lanka for 5 till his final 324, before the rain stopped in his innings after 49.2 overs, there was a huge step towards victory, as this surface was not particularly spin-friendly. , None of the chasing teams had made so much. 290 in Dambullah.
Finally, a long rains delayed meant that a curtain was chased in New Zealand. But even his opener, who scored 88 runs in 80 balls, was not enough with the required rate. Will Young scored 48 out of 46 and Tim Robinson 35 runs. But he needed great fireworks from the choice of Glenn Philips and Mark Chapman. They never came.
After dismissing Patham Nisanka, Kusal and Avishka first gained significant speed through Powerplay, in which Sri Lanka scored 57 runs. In the fifth over, bowled by Jacob Dafi, Mendis smoked a straight drive, then crashed a small ball in front of midwicket to hit his first two fours of the innings. In the next over, bowled by debutant Nathan Smith, Avishka raised a ball down from the ground, then Kunda pulled one and one on the fine leg boundary for six.
The period was hiccups – Mendis was dropped by Duffy at 11, which could not catch a sharp return catch. But otherwise Sri Lanka’s progress was smooth. The required was not that much, and settled in a stable rhythm of cuses and unidentified accumulation, both batsmen used sweeps when New Zealand bowlers distributed dot balls continuously when the New Zealand bowlers.
Avishka was also strong on the cover, repeatedly going in and out, while Kusal found the wicket’s square in the off side. They both fed the bowling of Ish Sodhi and Michael Bracewell, none of which were able to pressurize over a sufficient period. Kusal got away from fifty to face his 64th ball, before the aviska in half a century – his ninth – his 60th ball away from his 60th ball.
He slowed down the tempo after going to those milestones, but batted in a single gear on a large scale. Avishka was dropped at 77 by Sodhi in the outfield, although the fielder actually got fingers only for chance. Kusal fell away from 102 balls, in its 37th over, in the 37th over. Avishka arrived there in the 38th. For both batsmen, this was their fourth ODI ton.
Avishka soon dropped out, caught in mid-off, but the partnership brought Sri Lanka to the verge of death. His collapse was 223 for 2 in the 39th over.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is a senior writer of Espncricinfo. @Afidelf
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