On the first day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka seized control by dismissing the visitors for 198, with the seasoned Vishwa Fernando taking four wickets. Rahmat Shah emerged as the lone batter displaying the potential for a substantial innings, battling hard during his 139-ball stay for 91 and striking 13 boundaries.
The 30-year-old was well on his way to a second Test century until Saadera Samarawickrama intervened with a Matrix-breaking sequence, denying Shah the milestone.
Shah’s anticipation and execution were evident when slow-left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya bowled a full delivery in line with the stumps to initiate the 45th over. Shah, eyes lighting up, swiftly knelt down to sweep the ball towards fine-leg. However, Samarawickrama, anticipating the shot due to its frequent use by Shah, exhibited remarkable quick thinking.
Even before the ball pitched, the veteran wicket-keeper started moving across to his left. By the time the ball met the bat, Samarawickrama was perfectly stationed at the edge of the pitch, effortlessly lowering his hand to complete a deceptively simple yet impeccably executed catch.
Anticipation on point 👌💯
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) February 2, 2024
Brilliant piece of wicket-keeping from #SadeeraSamarawickrama saw Rahmat Shah depart 9 runs short of his century 🧤#SonySportsNetwork #SLvAFG pic.twitter.com/SEACw7yvFj
The wicket-keeper’s teammates, along with the umpires, were both shocked and ecstatic. The review for the catch lasted over five minutes, despite no doubts about its legality. Twitterati promptly hailed it as one of the best catches in modern cricketing history.