WATCH: Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Sadeera Samarawickrama stuns fans with sensational catch
In the ongoing Test match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan Sadeera Samarawickrama, a wicketkeeper Sri Lanka took one of the greatest catches of all time. This incident during the Colombo Test, when […]
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Feb 2, 2024 7:10 pm
Sadeera Samarawickrama (Source – X)
In the ongoing Test match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan Sadeera Samarawickrama, a wicketkeeper Sri Lanka took one of the greatest catches of all time. This incident during the Colombo Test, when Afghanistan batter Rahmat Shah, who was having a good innings, opted to perform a paddle sweep off P Jayasuriya.
Samarawickrama, with his sharp senses and excellent agility, anticipated the shot quickly. As Rahmat prepared to sweep, the wicketkeeper quickly moved to his left. The ball appeared destined to avoid capture after making contact with the bat, but Samarawickrama retrieved it from the air with his left glove near his shin. He grabbed the catch with both hands to ensure that it was safe, bringing the thrilling performance to an end.
The on-field umpire, realising the importance of the dismissal, requested that the third umpire confirm the legitimacy of the catch. The replays proved that the ball had definitely struck the bat’s sticker and nestled securely between Samarawickrama’s hands, making no touch with the ground. After analysing several angles, TV umpire Alex Wharf ruled it a fair catch.
Afghanistan got a good start from Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi
Rahmat’s impressive innings came to a close with 91 runs off 139 balls, 13 of which were boundaries. Samarawickrama’s catch not only demonstrated his wicketkeeping abilities but also emphasised the need for anticipation and reflexes behind the stumps, resulting in the dismissal of an important batter in the match.
Rahmat had enjoyed a good fifty-plus partnership with his skipper, Hashmatullah Shahidi, who exuded confidence at the bat. However, the Afghanistancaptain was dismissed after a wayward shot resulted in a nick-off, which was quickly followed by Nasir Jamal’s misjudgement of a straight delivery, resulting in the unmistakable sound of timber being disturbed in the following over.
Ikram Alikhil first took a careful approach, while Rahmat demonstrated a range of outstanding shots. Despite looking to be on his way to a century, Rahmat’s innings was cut short when he attempted a paddle sweep and was caught by Samarawickrama, who showed remarkable anticipation by adapting to the leg slip position.
