Watch: Unexpected visitor! Monitor lizard halts play in Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan Test on day 2

An unexpected interruption occurred on the second day in Colombo during the ongoing one-off Test between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Play was briefly halted as a monitor lizard entered the field on the second day, causing a bizarre stoppage before eventually leaving.

Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are currently engaged in the red-ball match, marking the first-ever Test encounter between the two teams. Afghanistan played only seven Test matches before this match. This match is not included in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).

Watch – Monitor Lizard Halts Play In Sri Lanka

The interruption occurred during the 48th over of Sri Lanka’s innings in the ongoing Test match at the Sinhalese Sports Club. The monitor lizard entered the field, creating a distraction, and officials took prompt action to scare it away, leading to a temporary stoppage in play.

“We had an uninvited guest on the field today,” wrote the caption.

We had an uninvited guest on the field today 🦎😄#SonySportsNetwork #SLvAFG pic.twitter.com/1LvDkLmXij

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) February 3, 2024

This incident in Sri Lanka is not the first of its kind. It’s worth noting that during last year’s Lanka Premier League, several matches experienced interruptions due to snakes entering the field.

Afghanistan Bowled Out For 198 Runs In First Innings

Sri Lanka’s captain, Dhananjaya de Silva, opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Asitha Fernando provided an early breakthrough when opener Ibrahim Zadran fell for a two-ball duck. Vishwa Fernando dimissed another opener, Noor Ali Zadran, for 31 runs.

Sri Lanka restricted Afghanistan to 198 runs in 62.4 overs. Apart from Rahmat Shah’s notable 91 off 139, other Afghanistan players struggled to contribute significantly. Vishwa Fernando claimed 4/51, and Asitha Fernando and Prabath Jayasuriya took three wickets each.

Sri Lanka responded strongly as Dimuth Karunaratne and Nishan Madhushka formed a 93-run stand in 16.1 overs. Afghanistan took three quick wickets, limiting them to 148/3. However, Sri Lanka regained control with Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal’s stand.

At the tea break, Sri Lanka scored 287/3 in 69 overs, holding an 89-run lead. Angelo Mathews remained unbeaten with 79 off 152 balls, while Dinesh Chandimal contributed an unbeaten 68 off 116 balls. Nijat Masood, Naveed Zadran, and Qais Ahmad took one wicket each.

We Have A Lot Of Good Players – Hashmatullah Shahidi

Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi expressed satisfaction with the decision to bat first. Shahidi highlighted the team’s confidence in their young players and their excitement and determination to showcase their skills in the match.

“We wanted to bat first only and they have given us batting. We have a lot of good players and the youngsters are doing well in first-class cricket. We have four debutants today, two of them are fast bowlers and one of them is left-arm spinner. We are excited and we are looking forward to it. It’s high time to show and express ourselves,” Shahidi said.

Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Nasir Jamal, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Zia-ur-Rehman, Qais Ahmad, Nijat Masood, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Naveed Zadran

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne, Nishan Madushka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Dhananjaya de Silva(c), Sadeera Samarawickrama(w), Chamika Gunasekara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando

Also read: Sri Lanka to tour Bangladesh in March for two Tests, three T20Is, and three ODIs