Pathum: Welcome to the epic club of 200
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Pathum Nissanka playing in his first ODI in three months–his last one was at the World Cup on November 9 last year, against New Zealand–etched his name into cricketing history.The 25-year-old painted a masterpiece of resilience and dominance with each stroke against Afghan bowlers who toiled under the relentless assault of Nissanka’s willow.
As Sri Lanka’s innings unfolded at Pallekele International Stadium, it was clear this would not be an ordinary day in cricket. After being sent in to bat first on a good batting wicket, Nissanka flayed the opposition bowlers with precision and power, joining a select club of ODI double centurions.
Having endured a tough time at the World Cup, Sri Lankans needed some lifting. Nissanka led the charge, embodying the spirit of a nation longing for cricketing success.
An opening stand of 182 runs between Avishka Fernando (88) and Nissanka set the tone for an imposing total which proved beyond the Afghans’ reach, despite a brilliant counterattack by Azmatullah Omarzai (149) and Mohammed Nabi (136) in a 242-run sixth-wicket stand.
Afghanistan fought hard to finish on 339 for 6. It was 42 runs shy of Sri Lanka’s total of 381. They were reduced to 55 for 5 before the end of the first powerplay, largely thanks to returning seamer Pramod Madushan, who took a wicket each in his first three overs. But the visitors’ counter-punch did very nearly dull the shine of Nissanka’s brilliance.
Nissanka wielded his bat with power and precision. His double century, a first in Sri Lankan ODI history, was a class apart and was watched by Sanath Jayasuriya, the man who had previously held the highest individual score for a Sri Lankan. When Nissanka reached his double ton, cheers erupted from the stands as he looked to the heavens in disbelief. Jayasuriya jumped to his feet and applauded while Charith Asalanka in the middle hugged him elatedly.
Nissanka smashed 20 boundaries and eight sixes in his 139-ball knock. He pulled with sheer timing, the most productive shot among the barrages he executed to perfection. His unbeaten 210, the first double-century in ODI cricket by a Sri Lankan, surpassed Jayasuriya’s 189 against India in Sharjah in 2000.
“It was a brilliant knock and I was lucky to be there when my record was broken,” said Jayasuriya, who now overlooks the training at the High Performance Center (HPC) at Kettarama.
“Pathum is known for playing long innings from his school days but at international level, he had struggled to convert those starts to big knocks. He did it on Friday with such dominance. I like to see him play like this, play to natural instinct”.
The Afghan bowlers, minus their two frontliners, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, worked desperately, but Nissanka’s brilliance stood out. Even Mohammed Nabi, the wily spinner, found himself powerless. Boundaries flowed, turning the Afghan fielders into mere spectators. No amount of strategy or skill could stem the tide from Nissanka’s bat, as he carved his name among the cricketing legends.
As the innings reached its climax, Nissanka’s dominance knew no bounds. Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Fareed Ahmad found themselves at the receiving end of his volley, dispatched to all corners of the ground with disdainful ease.
In the final over, with the crowd on its feet and in anticipation of the magical moment, Nissanka delivered, reaching the milestone 200 in his 136th ball of the innings. As he walked off the field, teammates and opponents stood in awe of his achievement, paying homage to a master craftsman at the peak of his powers.
