Left-arm seamer Vishwa Fernando took four wickets on Friday as Sri Lanka bowled out Afghanistan for 198 runs on the first day of their one-off Test in Colombo.
Afghanistan were 109-2 after mainstay Rah-mat Shah steadied them after a shaky start but Sri Lanka’s bowlers began to make inroads after lunch.
Vishwa found sideways deliveries to trouble the Afghan batsman while left-arm spinner Pra-bath Jayasuriya and right-arm medium paceman Asitha Fernando took three wickets apiece.
Afghanistan lost their last six wickets for 43 runs as the lower order failed to put up a fight, with Asitha clearing the last two in three deliveries.
Rahmat, Afghanistan’s most experienced player who has featured in all their previous seven Tests, top-scored with an aggressive 91 that featured 13 boundaries.
A terrific one-handed catch from Sadeera Samarawickrama sent Rahmat back after a failed paddle sweep on a ball pitched on off-stump by Jayasuriya.
Vishwa took a good return catch to dismiss opening batsman Noor Ali Zadran for 31, breaking his 57-run stand for the second wicket with Rahmat.
Noor was making his debut at the unusual age of 35. Nisha Madushka at gully took a low catch to dismiss Ikram Alikhil for 21. Opener Ibrahim Zadran fell for a duck in the second ball of the match.—APP
