Oh, only if Afghanistan knew…..

When Dunith Wellalage dismissed Hashmatullah Shahidi, the left-arm spinner let out a big roar and uttered, “ **** off”.

It seemed like a defining moment. Sri Lanka had smelled blood. 

On any other day, it would have well and truly been the defining moment, but on Tuesday (September 5), it wasn’t. It was a day where everyone had their hearts in their mouths. At that point, all that Sri Lanka had to do was keep a level head. 

However, that is the toughest part. 

Especially when someone like Rashid Khan was yet to walk out to bat, especially when someone of the calibre of Najibullah Zadran was still at strike. Dasun Shanaka put all his eggs in the basket and summoned Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana to do the job.

It was the duo who picked up six wickets between them in the clash against Bangladesh. Shanaka couldn’t have trusted anyone apart from them either after such heroics. 

At 237/7, with 55 runs required from 32 balls, it was slightly tilted in favour of Sri Lanka, but then only three overs were left from their ace bowlers. 

Afghanistan were aware of that. Rashid was aware of that, and the right-handed batter immediately took off with a six off his fourth ball over extra cover against Pathirana. The crowd couldn’t have asked for more; it was almost destined to go Afghanistan’s way. 

The camera immediately panned towards Shanaka, and the all-rounder almost sweated out of his eyes. The commentators couldn’t hide their excitement either. With a stunning hit, Najibullah didn’t spare Theekshana at the other end either. Even if the equation wasn’t massively in favour of the Afghans, it was tilted towards Afghanistan than Sri Lanka. 

Afghanistan stood in the ascendancy with 33 off 19, with only one over of Pathirana left. When Najibullah swung heavily to the off-side for a four, the gap between the runs and the balls shrunk. With 27 off 13, Sri Lanka seemed lost. 

The equation was simple: 27 off 13 balls. But if not 13, 32 needed to be scored off 16. 

And the question, too, was quite simple: Did Afghanistan do the math? 

Wellalage returned with the ball. At the age of 20, the left-arm spinner’s heart was probably racing. Shanaka had even set the field for the youngster. But remember this: the left-arm spinner had played only 10 ODIs till then in his career. Only three out of the ten were away from home. 

This was the fourth time he would play away from home. The rest of the tournament for Sri Lanka was in Sri Lanka. It will be a big matter of shame if they get knocked out, and Wellalage wouldn’t want to be any part of it. 

Dot, dot. There was a brief sense of happiness. But that didn’t last too long... 

Wellalage dragged one down. Rashid knew the price that a bowler has to play when he drags one down to punish him. Two deliveries later, he mercilessly hit him over the cover region for another four. Rashid has been there on the receiving end at such moments. He perfectly understood the plight of the bowler. 

So, he stepped down yet again for another four, three in the same over. There is joy on Rashid’s face, and he punches Mujeeb’s gloves. 

Shanaka had a choice to make. It is so easy to lose track of how many overs which bowler has bowled. The pressure is intense. One wrong step from here and the defending champions would be knocked out. Shanaka throws the ball to a tall, lanky person. You could see the shadows cast. It was lankier because of the pressure. 

It was Dhananjaya de Silva. Out of all people, it was the off-spinner against two right-handers. If that isn’t a gamble, then perhaps betting on your house isn’t either. 

*Three runs were required off one ball.*

Mujeeb ur Rahman had to go for the big hit. And, so he did.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t big enough. Shanaka’s captaincy is perhaps understated, he has placed one of Sri Lanka’s best fielders - Sadeera Samarawickrama - at the boundary. Sadeera holds on to the ball. Rashid’s face goes down. He is almost on his knees, emotionally wrecked. 

Afghanistan were knocked out. Rashid was out of the tournament. Or at least that’s what the Afghanistani dressing room assumed. In a day and age where technology is so common, common sense isn’t that common. 

Afghanistan were in the game. It is just that they didn’t know that they were in the game. As Fazalhaq Farooqi walked out with the bat in his hand, he didn’t know it either. 

All that Afghanistan needed was 294 runs in 37.3 overs, 295 in 37.4 overs, or scored 296 in 38 overs, or 297 in 38.1 overs.

The game was still in their hands. Commentators were screaming about the probabilities, everyone on social media was tweeting all the different combinations, and then 13 people on the field had no idea. Or at least two of them had no clue. 

As Fazalhaq missed a full toss, Afghanistan were well and truly out of the game. They had no clue that they could still win it. And when you have no clue, you just don’t win. 

Even if someone had played a 32-ball 65 blinder earlier. Even if your skipper had scored his second consecutive fifty. Or even when Rashid scored 27 off 16. 

In 2003, South Africa experienced it. In 2023, Afghanistan have realised it. 

You just don’t win.