🏏Asia Cup 2023: M6: SL vs AFG in Lahore on 05/09/2023 at 3PM IST 🏏 - Page 64

Originally posted by: aekiel

Absolutely shocking that no one in their dressing room even seemed to be aware of such a possibility.

You'd never expect such a mistake from an international team, not in this era at least!

Worse was the No.11 (Farooqi) blocking an absolute full toss! He could've got a single, that would've given Rashid a chance to hit a six to win.

Sri Lanka get out of jail, heartbreak for Afghanistan! Afghanistan needed a Herculean task to progress and they got so close. They never gave up but they probably didn't know that they still had a chance after 37.1 overs. They needed one six off the next three deliveries, but Fazalhaq Farooqi came out and blocked three balls. Rashid, who denied a couple of singles in the 36th over, could only watch it unfold agonizingly from the non-striker's end. Lot of credit to the way Afghanistan played this game.

Opting to bat, Sri Lanka got off to a brisk start scoring 62/0 in the first powerplay, Afghanistan fought back by picking up three wickets for just 23 runs. Mendis and Asalanka stitched a century stand. Afghanistan once again came back by reducing the Islanders from 188/3 to 227/7. SL finished with 292 on the board; with the target to be hunted down inside 37.1 overs, they lost both their openers cheaply. And, Afghanistan still didn't give up. Gulbadin, promoted to three, set the tone with a little cameo. Rahmat Shah batted fluently before falling for a 40-ball 45. The experienced Nabi walked in at 121/4 and took four balls to get off the mark but he got going with a six and that was start of something incredible. The 38-year-old all-rounder took the attack to the Lankan bowlers and blasted a 24-ball fifty - also the fastest fifty by an Afghanistan batter. SL were feeling the pressure big time and Theekshana broke the 80-run stand by removing Nabi.

Sri Lanka get out of jail, heartbreak for Afghanistan! Afghanistan needed a Herculean task to progress and they got so close. They never gave up but they probably didn't know that they still had a chance after 37.1 overs. They needed one six off the next three deliveries, but Fazalhaq Farooqi came out and blocked three balls. Rashid, who denied a couple of singles in the 36th over, could only watch it unfold agonizingly from the non-striker's end. Lot of credit to the way Afghanistan played this game.

Hashmatullah Shahidi after the close loss: "Very disappointed about it. We fought well. We gave our 100%. I am proud of the team - of the way they played, and fought till the last ball. We have played good cricket in ODIs in the last couple of years. But from the last four or five games we were struggling. We are very near to the World Cup. We will learn from and work on what we did here. Our crowd always supports us, and we are thankful to them. We try our best to give something to them; we feel sorry for them that we didn't qualify today."

Originally posted by: Prizi

Ifhaam: "This match has surely given the message that AFG isn't a weak team anymore"

Matheesha Pathirana: "Very tough game. Finally we qualified. Really happy that we won. I try to be calm under pressure, and that's why I smile. I try my best [with some seniors absent]."

Lasan Rashmika: "People who can remember Adithya Tare, Corey Anderson and Mumbai Indians are the ones who are aware of that rule"

Originally posted by: JustRandomGirl

Kisi ne shayad bohot baada wala badua diya hoga farooqi ko. man lost his bowling form and his recklessness cost his country a semi final

What abt the players sitting in the dressing room.. were they not watching the tv and listening to the commentary?

Idiots

Matheesha Pathirana: "Very tough game. Finally we qualified. Really happy that we won. I try to be calm under pressure, and that's why I smile. I try my best [with some seniors absent]."