Sri Lanka gained significant ground in their pursuit of victory on the fourth morning of the Test, as they took six wickets to expose Afghanistan’s vulnerable lower order.
On the fourth day, Sri Lanka’s bowling attack, especially with the second new ball, appeared more threatening compared to the previous day. Prabath Jayasuriya, the left-arm spinner, was the standout performer, claiming four wickets. Asitha Fernando and Kasun Rajitha also chipped in with one wicket each. The bowlers took advantage of the drying pitch, and Jayasuriya, in particular, troubled the Afghan batsmen with his deliveries biting off the new seam.
Centurion Ibrahim Zadran, who resumed his innings on the fourth day, could only add 13 runs before getting dismissed for 114. Rahmat Shah, who had reached a half-century, contributed only eight more runs before falling. The partnership between Zadran and Shah, which had briefly brought Afghanistan close to erasing the deficit, broke, and the team rapidly collapsed towards the end of the session.
In a span of 13 runs, Afghanistan lost five wickets, severely denting their hopes of setting a challenging target for Sri Lanka. They went to lunch with a slender lead of 10 runs and only three wickets in hand.
Kasun Rajitha struck early with the new ball, dismissing Rahmat Shah, while Jayasuriya’s spin bamboozled Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, and Zia-ur-Rehman. Asitha Fernando got the crucial breakthrough by dismissing Ikram Alikhil. In the midst of the wickets falling, Dhananjaya de Silva took a brilliant low catch at slip to dismiss Qais Ahmad.
With Afghanistan’s innings hanging by a thread, Sri Lanka is now in a strong position to secure victory in the Test. The collapse has made the possibility of setting a challenging target unlikely for Afghanistan, giving Sri Lanka a clear advantage in the match.
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