Mohammad Saleem out for at least four weeks with grade-II hamstring strain

Afghanistan and Sri Lanka faced off in a one-off Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, where the Sri Lankan team currently hold a strong position at the end of Day 3.

Now in a significant setback, it has been revealed that Afghanistani fast-bowler Mohammad Saleem sustained a grade II left hamstring strain on Day 2 of the ongoing Test match. The injury has ruled him out of the ongoing Test and will keep him sidelined for at least the next four weeks.

Afghanistan Cricket Board's Twitter account shared the news and wrote, 

"INJURY ALERT 🚨 Fast-bowler Mohammad Saleem sustained a grade 2 left hamstring strain on Day 2 of the #SLvAFG, which rules him out of the ongoing test match and at least for the next four weeks. Wish you a swift recovery, Saleem! 🤲"

Sri Lanka are in control; Afghanistan showcase bravery in the second inning

Talking about the match, batting first, the Afghanistani team were dismissed for just 198 runs in their first innings. Rahmat Shah was the lone batter who appeared solid in the first innings, scoring 91 off 139 balls. In response, Sri Lanka dominated, displaying their batting prowess and amassing a formidable 439 in their first innings. Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal played outstanding innings, both scoring centuries with 141 and 107 runs, respectively. Dimuth Karunaratne also contributed with a solid fifty, scoring 77 runs. For Afghanistan, Naveed Zadran was the standout bowler, claiming four wickets.

In their second innings, Afghanistan exhibited improved application and bravery, reaching 199 for the loss of one wicket at the end of Day 3. Opener and stylish batter Ibrahim Zadran secured a solid century, batting at 101*, while Rahmat Shah supported him with 46 runs. Noor Ali Zadran contributed 47 runs before being dismissed by Asitha Fernando.

Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see how the Afghan batters extend their second innings and how they will fare against the Sri Lankan batters in the fourth innings, especially without the services of Mohammad Saleem.