"Very hard to defend such total": Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka after clinching place in Asia Cup Super 4
Sep 05, 2023
Lahore [Pakistan], September 6 : Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka was eased that they somehow found a way to win against valiant Afghanistan.
Kasun Rajitha's fiery four-wicket haul and Dhananjaya de Silva's unbridled two wickets in the crucial 38th over helped Sri Lanka sneak home by two runs against a spirited Afghanistan side to book a Super 4 spot in the Asia Cup 2023 at the match played at Gaddafi Stadium here on Tuesday.
The equation for Afghanistan was pretty straightforward at the innings break when Sri Lanka had set a target of 292 — to chase it in 37.1 overs or less or miss out on a spot in the Super 4 stage of Asia Cup 2023.
Sri Lanka almost lost it but they kept their cool to clinch a place in Super Fours in a super thriller in Lahore.
"It's a tough one, very hard to defend such a total. DDS and my wicket - that was the important part of the game. Mendis and Asalanka built the innings really well. We didn't chip today. Credit to Theekshana and Wellalage - they played brilliantly to finish on 291," Dasun Shanaka said during a post-match presentation.
Kusal Mendis' 92 and a late 64-run stand between Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana had put Sri Lanka in the driver's seat in Lahore after they opted to bat first in the crucial Asia Cup fixture.
"Kasun opened the door for us. Nabi played an outstanding inning which almost took away the game from us. We found a way to win," Shanaka said.
Sri Lanka will face Bangladesh in their first Super Four match at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Saturday.
