Sri Lanka clinches thrilling 2-wicket victory over Zimbabwe

Maheesh Theekshana and Janith Liyanage shine in Sri Lanka's thrilling 2-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in second ODI

Maheesh Theekshana and Janith Liyanage played pivotal roles in guiding Sri Lanka to a thrilling two-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the second ODI at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo today. With this win, Sri Lanka takes a 1-0 lead in the series as the first ODI was called off due to rain on Saturday.

Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bat first. They faced challenges in their batting against Sri Lanka in the second ODI. The opening batsman, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, was dismissed in the first over by Dilshan Madushanka, setting a poor start. 

Sri Lanka's chase had a shaky start, losing Avishka Fernando in the first over after scoring just four runs. Sadeera Samarawickrama couldn't continue his form and was caught behind to Ngarava. Kusal Mendis and Janith Liyanage put on a 35-run partnership for the third wicket. 

Former captain Dasun Shanaka failed to continue his form and was dismissed for just seven runs, adding disappointment to the middle-order batting lineup. Janith Liyanage, making his debut appearance in the first ODI against Zimbabwe, played a magnificent innings of 95 runs with six fours and two maximums when Sri Lanka faced a difficult position. Mahesh Theekshana and Liyanage put on a much-needed 56 runs for the seventh wicket. Theekshana scored 18 runs, showcasing his all-round performance. 

When Sri Lanka found themselves at eight wickets down for 172, Jeffrey Vandersay and Dushmantha Chameera concluded the game in the 49th over, reaching a total of 211 for 8. Richard Ngarava played a crucial role for Zimbabwe, taking a five-wicket haul for 32 runs, while Sikandar Raza contributed with two wickets.

Vandersay and Chameera forged an unbeaten 39-run partnership, securing Sri Lanka's first win in 2024. The third and final ODI is scheduled to take place at the same venue on Thursday (11).

Janith Liyanage received the man of the match award.

"I must credit our bowling unit for their consistent performances. However, as a batting lineup, we are disappointed with our displays. We cannot continue playing in this manner indefinitely. We will rectify our batting in the future," Kusal Mendis said.