श्रीलंका vs जिम्बाब्वे, तीसरा एक-दिवसीय, R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, 11 January 2024 - कमेंट्री

FOUR! SHOT! 2 runs needed now. Shorter and outside off. Samarawickrama slaps it through point for four. 

Angling on off. Samarawickrama blocks.

Fuller and on middle. Samarawickrama again blocks this out.

TWO RUNS! Samarawickrama wins it. Fuller and outside off. Samarawickrama drives it through covers for a couple. Sri Lanka win by 8 wickets.

Angling on middle, Samarawickrama turns it to square leg for a single.

Fuller and slanting on middle, Mendis sweeps it to deep square leg for one.

Length and outside off. Samarawickrama strokes it to cover.

Full and on off, Samarawickrama pushes it to mid off for a quick single.

Length and outside off. Mendis keeps it out.

6 runs needed now. Angling on the pads. Mendis tickles it to fine leg for a brace. 

FOUR! Finds the fence! Just 13 needed now. Flat and outside off. Mendis dabs it away past backward point and finds the fence. Well played.

Fuller and wide of off. Mendis drives it to deep cover for one.

On off, this is defended out.

Fuller and on middle, Samarawickrama prods and blocks.

Outside off, this is guided to short third man for a single.

Flat and on off, Mendis goes back and blocks.

On a length and on middle, Samarawickrama blocks.

On the pads. Samarawickrama flicks it to deep square leg for a couple more. 

On a length and outside off, shapes in. Samarawickrama looks to push but misses. 

Slants it on middle, Samarawickrama turns it to mid-wicket.

Wide! Short and going down leg. Samarawickrama lets it go.

Length and on off, kept out.

This is short and on middle, Samarawickrama pulls it down to fine leg for a couple of runs.

Around off, this is pushed to covers for one.

Outside off, shorter and Mendis knocks it to point.

Slides it down leg. Mendis sweeps it to short fine leg for a single.

On middle, Daniel blocks it out.

OUT! TAKEN! Daniel holes out. Fuller and around off. Daniel charges down the track and heaves but toe ends his shot. It goes to deep mid-wicket where Milton Shumba takes it well. Too late it feels though.

Full and outside off, Samarawickrama works it to covers for a single.

This is short and well wide of off. Mendis slashes his blade and misses.

FOUR! This time finds the gap. Shorter and outside off. Mendis on his toes, punches it through cover-point and finds the fence.

Short and outside off. Mendis lets it go.

Fuller and on middle, this is tucked to deep square leg for a single.

Wide! Bowls it short and well outside off. Daniel swings and misses.

Length and on off, this is dropped to point for a single.

Well bowled! Fuller and outside off, tails in late. Mendis is drawn to drive but misses it completely. 

Tossed up on middle, Mendis looks to defend but splices it to cover.

Slants it on the pads. Mendis fails to flick it out. An appeal but that was going down. 

FOUR! And that is fifty for Mendis! He is in a hurry to win the series. Flat and outside off. Mendis opens the face of the bat and dabs it through third man for a boundary. 

On middle, this is swept to deep square leg for a single.

Fuller and outside off, Daniel pushes it through covers and takes a couple of runs. 

Quicker, shorter and on off, Daniel blocks it back to Raza.

A length ball, outside off, Mendis cuts it late but finds short third man.

Shorter and wide of off. Mendis cuts it over to point where Burl puts his body on line to save a couple.

FOUR! Fine shot! Pitched up, outside off. Mendis creams it through covers and it races to the fence. 

Bowls it touch short and outside off. Mendis slashes his blade and misses.

On a good length and outside off, Mendis looks to defend but is beaten. 

Fuller and around off, Mendis knocks it to covers for a single. 

Slides it down leg. Daniel tickles it but to short fine leg.

Floated, outside off. Daniel goes for the slog-sweep but misses.

On middle, Daniel nudges it to mid-wicket for a single.

Flat and angling on middle, Mendis blocks.

Another single as Mendis nudges it to deep mid-wicket.

A dot to end the over. On middle, fuller and Daniel defends it out.

Length and outside off, Mendis cuts it through point for a single.

On a length and just outside off, very close and Daniel looks to defend but misses.

On a length and outside off, Daniel drops it to point.

Length and on middle, Daniel nudges it to mid-wicket for a single.

Blessing Muzarabani goes slow and outside off, fuller ball. Mendis looks to push but misses.

FOUR! The last ball ruins a good over but nothing Blessing Muzarabani can do. On a length and outside off. Mendis is induced to defend but outside edges it just wide of the diving keeper and it flows to third man for four.

Lands it on off, Mendis turns it to mid-wicket for one.

Quicker one this time, Daniel blocks it forward.

Some turn and bounce, Daniel blocks it forward.

Full, more curve away, Daniel lunges and pushes it to covers for one.

Some width on offer, Mendis cuts it to the fielder at gully. Dot.

Slower one, on middle, Mendis turns it to mid-wicket for one.

FOUR! Lucky there! Blessing Muzarabani bowls on a nagging length which nips back at the off stump from outside off, Kusal Mendis opens the face of his blade and gets a bottom edge that goes through to the fence from the left of the keeper. Fortuitous there for Mendis but he will take it. 

On a good length this time at the fourth stump line, Kusal Mendis defends it to point off the back foot.

On a back of a length at the off stump, Kusal Mendis defends this late but gets an inside edge that hits his pad and goes over the off stump.

Identical length outside off, Kusal Mendis rides on the top of the bounce and opens the bat's face and steers it to third man for a single.

Bangs in a bouncer angling at the middle and off stump line, Shevon Daniel plays this one towards gully off his back foot.

Hits the deck hard, Daniel looks to block it but gets beaten on the extra bounce.

Good length, on off, Mendis mistimes his flick towards the man at square leg.

Full and hung outside off, Mendis covers his line and blocks it solidly.

Slower one on the occasion, Mendis miscues his cut showlt towards the gully region. They cross.

Bowls on a fuller length which angles at the off stump, Shevon Daniel tries to defend it off the front foot but gets a faint edge of his blade and falls just short of the first slip. Lucky there.

On a nagging length around the off stump channel, Shevon Daniel looks to pull it off but gets cramped up for room and plays it to short mid-wicket.

Bangs in a short-pitched delivery outside off, Shevon Daniel is happy to let it go through to the keeper.

Bowls from over the wicket on a fuller length at the stumps, Shevon Daniel defends it to the off side.

FOUR! Off the mark in style. Bowls on a back of a length which angles at the off stump line, Shevon Daniel gets on his back foot and opens the face of the blade and the ball flies through the vacant third slip for a boundary.

Fuller and angles away from the off stump, Shevon Daniel goes for a drive but misses.

On a good length this time outside off, Shevon Daniel tries to punch it off the back foot but the extra bounce beats him.

On a good length again and it nips back at the pads, Shevon Daniel goes for a pull but gets beaten on the inside edge onto his thigh pad for a single.

Full, down leg, Mendis looks to flick it. Gets his pads as the ball rolls towards square leg. They cross for a leg bye.

FOUR! Shot! Richard Ngarava provides the requisite width for Kusal Mendis outside off and he cashes onto it and extends his arms on his front foot and hits it through the covers for a boundary.

On a back of a length which angles outside off, Kusal Mendis throws his blade at it away from his body and misses whole on it.

SIX! Oh, hello! Another one wide outside off on a fuller length, Kusal Mendis just extends his arms and hits it over the cover region for half a dozen. What an over this is turning out to be for the hosts.

On a back of a length this time at the off pole, Kusal Mendis guides it comfortably towards point.

FOUR! Boundaries raining easily for the Lankans at the moment. This is full and at the leg and middle stump line, Kusal Mendis gets ahead on front foot and drives it uppishly through the long on area for another four. 

Short of a length delivery outside off, Kusal Mendis gets cramped up for room but still goes for the pull. The ball flies between short mid-wicket and mid on for a couple of runs.

Outside off, on a length, left alone.

WIDE! Down the leg side. Wided.

Good stuff! On a length and around off, this lands and moves away. Kusal Mendis looks to defend but is beaten.

FOUR! Pulled away! Banged away! Shorter and on middle, this is pulled over square leg for a boundary.

Shorter and on middle, this is pulled through square leg for two.

On the fuller side, this is pushed down to long on for one.

Around off, defended.

Lanka are off the mark! Angled into the pads. Shevon Daniel looks to flick but misses. It hits the pad and lobs on the off side. A leg bye taken.

Some insward movement! This starts around off and shapes back in. Avishka Fernando looks to flick but misses to get hit high on the pads.

Good length and around off, Avishka Fernando pushes it to mid off.

Another one on a length and around off, Avishka Fernando plays it to point.

A loud appeal but turned down. It is for caught behind. It has been reviewed. It seemed off the pad. OUT! Well, it does hit the glove before hitting the pad and Avishka Fernando falls early again. Richard Ngarava gets him yet again! This lands around off and jags back in. Avishka Fernando looks to drive but it hits the glove, then the pad and lobs to the keeper who makes no mistake.

Clipped away! Kusal Mendis is underway! On the pads, he works it past square leg. Three taken. A successful first over comes to an end for Zimbabwe.