WATCH: Sadeera Samarawickrama pulls off sensational catch to dismiss Rahmat Shah against Afghanistan in one-off Test

In the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Colombo, Sri Lankan wicket-keeper Sadeera Samarawickrama showcased remarkable awareness behind the stumps to dismiss Rahmat Shah with a brilliant play. After opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Sri Lanka struck early by dismissing Ibrahim Zadran in just the second ball of the innings. Despite consistently taking wickets thereafter, Sri Lanka encountered resilience from Rahmat Shah, who crafted a fluent half-century.

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Nevertheless, Rahmat Shah missed out on his second Test century by just nine runs, courtesy of Samarawickrama's exceptional play off the bowling of Prabath Jayasuriya. As Shah attempted a paddle sweep, Samarawickrama, alert and agile, swiftly moved to his left. Despite Shah making contact with the ball during his sweep, the Sri Lankan wicketkeeper managed to snatch it with his left glove near his shin before securely grasping it with both hands. This remarkable effort brought an end to Shah's stylish innings of 91 runs, leaving Afghanistan in a precarious position at 155/5 in the 46th over.

Samarawickrama has emerged as a crucial asset for Sri Lanka, having amassed more than 1,000 runs across various formats in the previous year. During the 2023 World Cup, the 28-year-old stood out amidst Sri Lanka's disappointing campaign, tallying 373 runs at an impressive average of 53.28 and a strike rate of 102.19. Despite his commendable performances, Sri Lanka ended up second from the bottom on the points table, managing only two victories in nine matches.

Watch the video of the catch;

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WHAT AN EFFORT, SAMARAWICKRAMA 🤯🔥pic.twitter.com/hR0UiZeYIN

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 2, 2024

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Sri Lanka end Day One on Top

Making their return to Test cricket after suffering a 0-2 defeat against Pakistan in July last year, Sri Lanka have made a strong start in the one-off Test against Afghanistan. In his maiden Test as captain, Dhananjaya de Silva elected to bowl first after winning the toss, aiming to capitalize on the early morning conditions. His pace bowlers, Vishwa Fernando and Asitha Fernando, delivered promising performances by claiming a wicket each within the initial 15 overs.

Vishwa Fernando continued his impressive spell by adding three more wickets to his tally, unsettling the Afghan batter. Fernando ended the match with a bowling figure of 4/51 from 12 overs. His spell along with Asitha Fernando and Prabath Jayasuriya, who picked up three wickets each, helped restrict Afghanistan to 198 runs. In reply to the first innings, the host were able to score 80/0 at the end of the Day’s play.