"The seamers and left-arm spinner especially were fantastic": Chandimal praises Afghan bowlers

Colombo [Sri Lanka], February 4 (ANI): Sri Lanka batter Dinesh Chandimal on Sunday asserted that the Afghanistan bowlers have shown a brilliant performance despite being inexperienced.
Chandimal played a marvellous innings of 107 runs off 181 balls with the help of 10 fours and a six. He built an outstanding partnership of 232 runs along with Angelo Mathews who played a magnificent knock of 141 runs from 259 balls which was laced by 14 four and three sixes.
The 34-year-old stated that the Afghanistan bowlers bowled brilliantly throughout the innings. He said that we (Chandimal and Mathews) struggled at times during our partnership.
"You've got to give a lot of credit to the way the Afghanistan bowlers bowled. They did well through the course of the innings. Even in my partnership with Angelo [Mathews, who made 141], there were times when I supported him, and times when he supported me when I found it difficult," Chandimal said in the interview after Day 3 as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
The Balapitiya-born cricketer further admitted that the Afghan bowlers bowled exceptionally well despite being inexperienced.
"Even though a lot of their bowlers are inexperienced at the international level, they bowled very well. The seamers and the left-arm spinner especially were fantastic. From the morning yesterday until the close of play, their seamers maintained their energy and their body language. They did well to restrict us."
Recapping the play on day three, at stumps, Afghanistan are 199/1 with Ibrahim Zadran unbeaten on 101 runs with the help of 11 fours and Rahmat Shah unbeaten on 46 runs which is laced by five boundaries. The visitors still trail by 42 runs in this match.
Sri Lanka resumed the third day from 410/6 with Sadira Samawickrama and debutant Chamika Gunasekara on the crease. Both the batters put on a partnership of 17 runs before the former was dismissed after scoring 27 runs with the help of four boundaries and a six on the bowling of Naveed Zadran.
Gunasekara was forced to retire hurt after he was hit on the head when he was playing at a score of 16. The No.8 batter tried to duck underneath the bouncer, but the low bounce saw him hit flush on the helmet. Right-arm seamer Kasun Rajith was elected as his concussion substitute but he did not come to bat as Gunasekara was retired hurt.
Inside 12 runs, the Islanders lost their last two wickets. First, they lost the wicket of Prabhath Jayasuriya when the team score was 435 runs and then the team lost the wicket of Asith Fernando when the team score was 439 runs.
After the Sri Lankan side was bundled out for 439 runs, the Afghan openers Ibrahim Zadran and Noor Ali Zadran came into bat for the second time in the match. Both the batters put on a marvellous partnership of 106 runs before the latter fell to Asitha Fernando after scoring 47 runs with the help of five boundaries.
After Noor Ali's dismissal, Rahmat came into the crease to support Ibrahim. Both of the batters have put an unbeaten partnership of 93 runs so far after the completion of Day 3. (ANI)