Masterclass in batting: Sanath Jayasuriya lauds this Sri Lankan batter for his maiden ODI double ton

Source: News9live
Author: Namrata Vijay

New Delhi: Former Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya has lauded Sri Lanka's Pathum Nissanka for his first ODI double century and he also said that his innings against Afghanistan was nothing less than a masterclass. Sri Lanka defeated Afghanistan by 42 runs in the first match of the series.

After Nissanka's brilliant inning, Jayasuriya took to his official X account and said that his performance was a masterclass in batting. Nissanka scripted histpry as he became the first Sri Lankan batter to smash a double hundred in the 50-over format. He scored an unbeaten knock of 210 runs against Afghanistan, which includes 20 fours and eight sixes.

"Congratulations to Pathum on a masterclass in batting. I am so so privileged to witness it in person pure bliss," Jayasuriya was qouted as saying on his official X account.

Nissanka scored a record-breaking innings and that hekped Sri Lanka take an unassialable lead of 1-0 in the three-match series. The opener scored his maiden ODI double ton off 136 balls and he became the 10th player to have scored a double hundred in ODIs.

Nissanka broke Jayasurya's record and scored the highest individual score by a Sri Lankan batter in this format, when he scored 189 runs and he also became the joint fifth-highest scorer in 50-over format.

Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bowl first where Sri Lanka posted a target of 381/3. Nissanka starred with the bat as he also stitched a match-winning partnership with Avishka Fernando.

They stitched a partnership of 182 runs for the first wicket in 26.2 overs and then Fernando was dismissed at 88 runs. After his dismissal, Nissanka showed his aggressive style and went all guns-blazing against the Afghans, as he scored an unbeaten knock of 210 runs off 139 balls.

In the second innings, Sri Lanka's Pramod Madushan and Dushmantha Chameera were the pick among the bowlers as they ratt;ed Afhanistan's batting order and left them reeling at 55/5.

Despite their top order batting collaspe, Mohammed Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai stitched a partnership of 242 runs for the sixth wicket and thus they helped the team bounce back in the game. This was the second highest sixth-wicket partnership in the history of the 50-over format in which both the batters scored hundreds.

But their efforts went in vain as Madhushan's fiery bowling spell led to Nabi's dismissal by 136 runs. At the same time, Omarzai scored an unbeaten knock of 149 runs off 115 balls as Afghanistan scored 339/6 abd lost the matc by 42 runs.