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With this match against Sri Lanka being their eighth
in the format, Afghanistan’s men are merely attempting to establish a record in
Test cricket. The group is attempting to secure as many opportunities as they
can to participate in Test matches. In order to succeed in this format, they
are also attempting to develop seam-bowling skills, as captain Hashmatullah
Shahidi stated prior to this Test.
Maybe they will take some solace in the fact that they
and their attack have received a perfect score from an enemy centurion. After
making 107 on Saturday to help Sri Lanka build a 241-run advantage, Dinesh
Chandimal remarked that Afghanistan’s bowlers, who have only played less than
five Test matches together, bowled significantly better than their record would
indicate.
“You’ve got to give a lot of credit to the way
the Afghanistan bowlers bowled,” he said. “They did well through the
course of the innings. Even in my partnership with Angelo [Mathews, who made
141], there were times when I supported him, and times when he supported me
when I found it difficult.
“Even though a lot of their bowlers are
inexperienced at the international level, they bowled very well. The seamers
and the left-arm spinner especially were fantastic. From the morning yesterday
until the close of play, their seamers maintained their energy and their body
language. They did well to restrict us.”
Part of Afghanistan’s strength was their discipline on
an SSC track that did not offer much for the bowlers beyond the first session.
They were especially intent that Sri Lanka’s batters did not get on the front
foot, Chandimal said.
“If you take my hundred or Angelo’s hundred,
there really weren’t many balls where we could step forward and drive for four.
I’m not sure there was a single driven four off the seamers. They bowled short
to us, or bowled good lengths. Right through the day they had discipline.”