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Asia Cup 2022: Bhanuka Rajapaksa reflects on his match-winning knock against Afghanistan

image-l7mh3so5Bhanuka Rajapsaksa (PC: Twitter)

The move to demote Bhanuka Rajapaksa in the batting position paid immediate dividends for Sri Lanka, as they enjoyed a thumping victory over Afghanistan on Saturday. 

Batting first, Afghanistan posted a total of 175 on the board, on the back of 84 from Rahmanullah Gurbaz. 

In response, Sri Lanka got off to a quick start with openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis. Arriving at number six, Rajapaksa slammed 31 off 14, with four fours and a six to help the team begin their Super Four stage on a winning note. 

In the post-match presentation, Rajapaksa reckoned that the key reason behind his late arrival at the crease was to strengthen the middle order. 

In recent years, Sri Lanka has struggled to get major contributions from their middle-order, and this step might help the team to improve their performance in the near future. 

"The wicket seemed quite good with the way they batted, we just needed to be a bit cautious when the spinners came into play. In the IPL, I can bat at three, but to strengthen the middle order, I was put at five. It's a floating role, but I like it," said Rajapaksa. 

"It was very embarrassing for us to get out for 105, so we wanted to put our hands up and show the nation we weren't as bad as that."

Poor fielding costs a game for Afghanistan 

It was an ordinary fielding effort from the Afghanistan team, who looked clinical ahead of this game. Apart from lethargic fielding, some of the players dropped crucial catches, which might have turned the tide into their favour. 

The lackluster fielding show put pressure on the bowlers, and ultimately resulted in the team's loss. The Mohammad Nabi-led side will clash with Pakistan on Wednesday, in their second Super Four fixture. 

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