The commentary is not available for this match. Please check the scorecard for latest updates.
What a thriller it was and in the end, yet again it was the home team Sri Lanka who emerged victorious. Like always it was an absolute pleasure bringing all the live coverage from this encounter. Lots of matches lined up tomorrow but for now, this is me (Arya Sekhar Chakraborty) signing off also on behalf of my fellow commentator Bidipto Datta. Goodnight! Cheers!
Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka captain): Ofcourse our bowlers did a great job. Our batters should have done a better job and made this easy. No not really. Our bowlers bowled really well. We kept them to a low score. We should ask for better wickets but our batters must show more responsibility in the middle overs. We played a lot of dot balls in the middle overs. We have a very balanced side. We have good finishers. If we would have played better in the middle overs, we can have done this pretty comfortably.
Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe captain): Everybody understands in the change room that we have given it our all. The fortune of Zimbabwe cricket will change sooner rather than later and these group of players will do it, I'm sure! I thought it was a decent score on that particular wicket. My personal enjoyment comes only when we turn the ship around and win games for our country. Otherwise, this batting effort and this bowling performance does not really count, if you ask me.
Angelo Mathews has been adjudged the Player of the Match! Here is what he has to say.
Angelo Mathews: I felt like I was making my debut after three odd years! I wasn't trying to prove anything to anyone, just wanted to win the match for the team! It wasn't an easy wicket to be honest. Sikandar Raza played really well, the total was quite challenging. I hung in there and Dasun Shanaka played a brilliant innings. We had to keep pushing, had to run hard. All in all, it was a satisfactory effort!
It is now time for the post-match presentation!
Sri Lanka won by 3 wickets (on the final delivery of the match)
The target of 144 was a tricky one for Sri Lanka but they would have definitely backed themselves to chase it down at the halfway mark. They had to huff and puff through the majority of the innings and in the end, it was a final ball victory for the hosts as Dusmantha Chameera scored 6 needed off the final two deliveries to seal the deal for Sri Lanka. It was an incredible start from Richard Ngarava as he bagged the wicket of Pathum Nissanka in just the third delivery of the run chase. It was a gentle fully on the pads which was clipped away off the inside half of the bat and straight to the deep backward square leg fielder. Kusal Perera provided the much-needed impetus in the powerplay with four boundaries in Like Jongwe's opening over.
It was Wellington Masakadza who started the slide for Sri Lanka bagging the wicket of Kusal Perera. Kusal Mendis was quick to follow as he cut one back of a length delivery from Muzarabani straight to the backward point fielder. The pressure was well and truly back on Sri Lanka. That is when Charith Asalanka was joined in by Angelo Mathews and the duo tried to stitch a partnership together. It was Sikandar Raza who broke through in the middle overs and helped Zimbabwe storm their way back into the game. He bagged the wickets of Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka, as Zimbabwe looked very much on top. Raza finished with the wicket of Wanindu Hasaranga. The ball spun back sharply to dislodge the stumps.
The pressure was beaming on Sri Lanka but Mathews showed some resilience out in the middle and built an impressive stand with Dasun Shanaka. Both batters can play the big shots and they brought out a wide array of strokes on the last three overs of the match. The important stand helped them come back in the game. Angelo Mathews struck a couple of boundaries in the first two deliveries of the final over to bring the equation down to 6 required off 4 and eventually, the match was won on the final delivery after the dismissal of Mathews on the 4th delivery. Dushmantha Chameera did a good job. Needed to find a boundary, Chameera's top edge made sure just two runs were needed which was done with utmost ease on the final delivery. Sikandar Raza was by far the pick of the bowlers for Zimbabwe, finishing with 3/13 in his 4 over spell.
Sri Lanka have won the opening T20I by 3 wickets. Those two deliveries were crucial. 6 runs were needed and Chameera has come to the rescue of Sri Lanka. There will be a sigh of relief in Sri Lanka's dug out. Yet again Zimbabwe falling at the receiving end of a thriller. They were the dominant side all through the evening but unfortunately, they were not able to hold on right in the end as Sri Lanka managed to win the game on the final delivery of the match.
20
overs
144/7score
4
4
0
W
4
2
runs
Dushmantha Chameera*
6(2)
Dasun Shanaka
26(18)
Blessing Muzarabani
2/33
19.6 Blessing Muzarabani to Dushmantha Chameera, SRI LANKA CLINCH A THRILLER! THEY PICK UP A FAMOUS WIN IN FRONT OF THEIR BELOVED HOME CROWD HERE IN COLOMBO! Good length slower ball around off-stump. Chameera swings hard off the front foot as the bottom hand comes off the bat. The ball goes over the in-field but lands in no man's land between deep square-leg and deep mid-wicket. The batters get ample time to pick up two runs!
That shot eas just inches away from victory. Muzarabani goes for the short one and the top edge flies over the keeper's head and off to the fence. 2 needed off 1 deliveries.
19.5 Blessing Muzarabani to Dushmantha Chameera, TOP EDGED FOR FOUR! SRI LANKA NOW NEED 2 RUNS OFF 1 BALL! Short on off-and-middle. Chameera swung across the line on the back foot and managed to get it over the keeper for a one bounce boundary! It was a lucky outcome for the hosts but it does not matter, they all count!
Dushmantha Chameera, RHB is the new man in.
Wellington Masakadza with his 4th catch of the day. Relief for the bowler and the whole or Zimbabwe. The idea was right from Mathews but not the execution. Was more from the toppish edge and a pretty comfortable catch for the deep midwicket fielder. Still 6 more needed off 2 deliveries.
19.4 Blessing Muzarabani to Angelo Mathews, THAT IS OUT! SRI LANKA STILL REQUIRE 6 RUNS, OFF 2 BALLS NOW! Good length slower ball around off-stump. Heaved away from deep in the crease with the bottom hand taken off. The ball then lands safely into the hands of deep mid-wicket as he makes no mistake under pressure!
19.3 Blessing Muzarabani to Angelo Mathews, OH! Short and slow over middle-stump. Mathews went for the upper cut on the back foot but failed to connect on this occasion! 6 runs needed off 3 balls!
Angelo Mathews is getting this done for Sri Lanka. Not the right length to bowl from Muzarabani. Mathews makes a lot of room and opens the bat face to glide that away past the short third man fielder.
19.2 Blessing Muzarabani to Angelo Mathews, FOUR RUNS NOW, AGAIN! Short and at the body outside leg-stump. Mathews moves back, creates some room and glides it past the right of the keeper for a boundary!
That's a dismissive shot from Angelo Mathews. Holding his nerves under pressure. Backs away from the leg stump and launches this down the ground, right from the meat of the bat and that races away to the fence.
19.1 Blessing Muzarabani to Angelo Mathews, over the wicket, FOUR RUNS! SRI LANKA NOW NEED 10 MORE TO WIN! Length ball around leg-stump. Mathews clears the left leg and hammers it over the bowler with the straight bat for a boundary!
Blessing Muzarabani [3-0-19-1] is back into the attack.
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Dushmantha Chameera
*
Blessing Muzarabani
Video
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R.Premadasa Stadium, Khettarama, Colombo
