Afghanistan A take the field on Friday for the fourth day of their first-class match against Sri Lanka A in Abu Dhabi, resuming their second innings at 132 for 3 and trailing by 483 runs.
The match has so far seen Sri Lanka A dominate with both bat and ball.
By stumps on Day 3, the Afghan side had found some resilience, thanks to an unbeaten 105-run partnership between skipper Darwish Rasooli (59) and Afsar Zazai (51). The two helped stabilize the innings after a top-order collapse that left Afghanistan A struggling at 27 for 3.
Earlier in the match, Sri Lanka A had posted 406 in their first innings, with Lahiru Udara (107) and Sonal Dinusha (104*) leading the charge. Afghanistan A responded with 168 all out in just 46.5 overs, with Afsar Zazai top-scoring with 54. Sri Lankan bowler Isitha Wijesundara claimed six wickets for 35 runs.
In their second innings, Sri Lanka A declared at 376 for 4, with centuries from Nuwanidu Fernando (102) and Pavan Rathnayake (100*), setting Afghanistan a daunting target of 615 to win.
Afghanistan A ended Day 3 on a more confident note, but with 483 more runs needed and only seven wickets in hand, they will need a monumental effort to avoid defeat as play resumes on Day 4.
