Sri Lanka National Cricket Team vs Afghanistan National Cricket Team Match Scorecard – Full 1st ODI Breakdown

The Sri Lanka national cricket team vs Afghanistan national cricket team match scorecard from the 1st ODI at Pallekele on 9 February 2024 is easily one of the wildest ODI scorecards you will see in recent years. A double century, a huge chase, a monster hundred in reply, and still a 42‑run result, this game had everything. The Sri Lanka national cricket team vs Afghanistan national cricket team match scorecard not only shows big numbers, but it also exposes how both sides handled pressure, conditions, and match situations across the full 100 overs.

Overview of the match

In this Sri Lanka national cricket team vs Afghanistan national cricket team match scorecard, Sri Lanka batted first and piled up 381 for 3 in 50 overs, powered by a historic 210* from Pathum Nissanka and a fluent 88 from Avishka Fernando. Afghanistan replied with 339 for 6, driven by a brilliant 149* from Azmatullah Omarzai, but fell 42 runs short of what became their highest ODI total.

Conditions at Pallekele were good for batting, with a flat surface and quick outfield, but as the Sri Lanka national cricket team vs Afghanistan national cricket team match scorecard shows, Sri Lanka used their top order platforms far better than Afghanistan did. The visitors left themselves too much to do in the middle overs, and even Omarzai’s late onslaught could not completely close the gap.

Sri Lanka Scorecard

Sri Lanka 381/3 in 50 overs.

Fall of wickets: 1‑182 (Avishka Fernando), 2‑215 (Kusal Mendis), 3‑236 (Samarawickrama).

This part of the Sri Lanka national cricket team vs Afghanistan national cricket team match scorecard screams domination, one opener goes past 200*, the other crosses 80, and the finisher nearly bags a hundred at over-run-a-ball.

Afghanistan Scorecard

Afghanistan 339/6 in 50 overs, lost by 42 runs.

Fall of wickets: 1‑62 (Gurbaz), 2‑128 (Ibrahim Zadran), 3‑140 (Shahidi), 4‑184 (Rahmat Shah), 5‑315 (Nabi), 6‑339 (end).

On the Afghanistan side of the Sri Lanka national cricket team vs Afghanistan national cricket team match scorecard, you see a classic chasing pattern: quick start, solid platform, stalling in the middle, then one man going berserk at the back end.

Key scorecard highlights

• Sri Lanka posted 381/3, their innings built around Pathum Nissanka’s 210*, the first double‑century by a Sri Lankan in men’s ODIs.
• Afghanistan’s 339/6 is their highest ODI total, driven almost entirely by Azmatullah Omarzai’s 149* from No. 5.
• Despite chasing 382, Afghanistan were only four down at 184, but the required rate kept climbing beyond 9 per over.
• Pramod Madushan’s 4 for 75 at the death was decisive, as he closed out Omarzai’s charge and sealed a 42‑run win for Sri Lanka.

Leading individual performances

• Pathum Nissanka – 210* off 136 balls, 20 fours, 8 sixes; controlled the innings from the first over to the last.
• Avishka Fernando – 88 off 96; ensured Sri Lanka never fell behind the rate in the first 30 overs.
• Charith Asalanka – 97* off 74; cashed in during the last 15 overs to push the total beyond 380.
• Azmatullah Omarzai – 149* off 115, with 13 fours and 6 sixes; kept Afghanistan alive almost single‑handedly in the chase.
• Pramod Madushan – 4 for 75 in 10 overs; the only bowler in the game with a four‑for, cleaning up the lower middle order under pressure.

Bowling and fielding analysis

Sri Lanka bowling

Afghanistan bowling

The bowling side of the Sri Lanka national cricket team vs Afghanistan national cricket team match scorecard is brutal reading for both attacks: no bowler goes at under a run‑a‑ball except Theekshana, which tells you how flat the pitch really was.

Match‑turning moments

• The 182‑run opening stand between Nissanka and Avishka basically removed early swing, new‑ball threat, and any scoreboard pressure for Sri Lanka.
• Once Sri Lanka crossed 300 in the 46th over with only three wickets down, Afghanistan’s bowlers were forced into defensive lines, gifting boundaries at the death.
• Afghanistan were 128/1 with Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran set; Rahmat Shah’s run‑out and Shahidi’s cheap dismissal broke the chase’s backbone.
• The stretch where Afghanistan went from 184/3 to 315/5 burned crucial balls while the asking rate shot above 10 per over.
• Madushan’s late spell, including wickets in the 47th and 49th overs, killed any outside chance that Omarzai could drag the game into the final over.

Conclusion

Sri Lanka national cricket team vs Afghanistan national cricket team match scorecard not only shows runs and wickets but also clarifies which one played with planning and fought back well. Sri Lanka’s top‑order stability and power‑hitting window from the 35th to the 50th over created a target that even Afghanistan’s record ODI total and Omarzai’s insane 149* could not chase down. Long term, this kind of game tells you Afghanistan has genuine batting firepower, but Sri Lanka still owns the big‑match temperament when both teams are pushed deep into the final overs.

FAQs

1. What was the final result of the Sri Lanka national cricket team vs Afghanistan national cricket team match scorecard in this 1st ODI?
Sri Lanka scored 381/3 and restricted Afghanistan to 339/6, winning by 42 runs.

2. Who scored the most runs in this Sri Lanka national cricket team vs Afghanistan national cricket team match scorecard?
Pathum Nissanka top‑scored with 210* for Sri Lanka, while Azmatullah Omarzai made 149* for Afghanistan.

3. What was Afghanistan’s highest individual score in the match?
Azmatullah Omarzai’s 149* off 115 balls is the highest individual score for Afghanistan in this game.

4. Which bowler took the most wickets in the match?
Pramod Madushan took 4 wickets for Sri Lanka, finishing with 4 for 75 in his 10 overs.

5. Why is this Sri Lanka national cricket team vs Afghanistan national cricket team match scorecard considered special?
Because it features a double century, a 300‑plus chase with a 140‑plus knock in reply, and still ends with a clear 42‑run result, which is rare in modern ODIs.