After winning the toss, Sri Lanka faced an uncertain beginning when Kusal Perera departed in just the second over. However, all eyes were on the other Kusal, Mendis, following his explosive 76 off 42 balls against South Africa in Sri Lanka’s first game.
Afridi managed to outwit the Sri Lankan star, inducing an error in the fifth over. Yet, a drop by Imam ul Haq granted Mendis another chance. Seizing the opportunity, the SL No. 3 swiftly reached his fifty in a mere 40 balls and accelerated his scoring.
In the 25th over, Babar Azam entrusted his top bowler with the ball as Mendis had raced to 79 off 56 balls. After Samarawickrama took a single on the first delivery, Mendis prepared to face the left-handed bowler. The ball turned out to be an easy one, short and wide outside off stump, and Mendis capitalized by cutting it past backward point for a boundary.
Afridi, undeterred by the four, repeated the same delivery. This time, he opted for a slightly shorter length, and the ball narrowly eluded third man, where Nawaz was fielding. Although not known for his athleticism, Nawaz made a valiant diving attempt but couldn’t hold onto the catch, resulting in a second consecutive boundary.
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Afridi’s frustration was evident as he turned around and berated himself. His ordeal continued on the next ball when Mendis once again found the boundary behind square with a sublime shot, demonstrating impeccable timing and placement.