Watch- Nuwan Thushara caught red-handed tampering the ball in Shahid Afridi style

Sri Lanka fast bowler Nuwan Thushara landed into controversy when he was caught biting the ball during the third T20I between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at Nelson. It was a shocking visual when Thushara was seen doing ball-tampering with all cameras right on him.

The incident happened after the end of four overs when New Zealand were batting and had received a great start from the openers Tim Robinson and Rachin Ravindra. Nuwan Thushara was coming in to bowl his second over of the day.

When he was standing at the top of his mark, Nuwan Thushara started tampering with the ball with his fingers first. Afterward, he started biting the ball despite knowing that the cameras were right on him.

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Watch: Nuwan Thushara caught biting the ball

Wait… Can you bite the ball like that these days?! pic.twitter.com/gkq26Hzba4

— The ACC (@TheACCnz) January 2, 2025

It was a shocking moment for a bowler who has already played 17 T20Is before. Nuwan Thushara is a seasoned bowler in the format. Thushara has also played for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) before.

The 30-year-old played 7 matches in IPL 2024 and picked up 8 wickets at an average of 32.12 and an economy rate of 9.88. Nuwan Thushara bowls with a slingy action and is known for his swing with the new ball. He had a good match and finished with 1-33 in 4 overs in a high-scoring encounter.

Kusal Perera scores a fiery hundred

Meanwhile, it was a high-scoring game where Sri Lanka just prevailed in the end. Earlier, New Zealand won the toss and elected to field first. They lost two wickets in the powerplay but Kusal Perera and Avishka Fernando steadied the innings with a good partnership.

Fernando was dismissed but Perera carried on with a blistering batting display. He stitched a fiery partnership with the captain Charith Asalanka as the duo put on a partnership of 101 runs for the fourth wicket in just more than seven overs.

Both the batters made full use of a good batting pitch and smashed the bowlers all around the park, Asalanka scored a quickfire 46 off 24 balls with 5 sixes and 1 four while Kusal Perera smashed a breathtaking 101 off just 46 balls. He struck 13 fours and 4 sixes during his knock.

New Zealand fought but Sri Lanka prevailed

In reply, New Zealand started brilliantly as their openers put on 81 runs in just 7.2 overs. Robinson scored a fiery 37 off just 21 balls. But unfortunately, the middle order couldn't back them up as they kept losing wickets. Apart from Daryl Mitchell, no other New Zealand batter could make a significant contribution with the bat.

Ravindra top-scored for New Zealand with 69 off just 39 deliveries with 5 fours and 4 sixes. Middle-order batter Daryl Mitchell smashed 35 off just 17 balls with 1 four and 4 sixes. But New Zealand finished on 211-7 and finished seven runs short.