Sri Lanka has thrown Pakistan out of the tournament by defeating Pakistan by two wickets in the Super Four match of Asia Cup. Now Sri Lanka will play the title match against India on 17th September. Chasing Pakistan’s target of 252, Sri Lanka reached 252 for eight on the last ball thanks to Mendis’ 91 runs off 87 balls with eight fours and one six and his 100-run third-wicket partnership with Samarawickram (48). Won by scoring runs.
Asalanka took the team to the target by scoring unbeaten 49 runs in 47 balls with three fours and one six. Earlier, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, apart from playing an unbeaten inning of 86 off 73 balls with six fours and two sixes, along with Iftikhar Ahmed (47 runs, 40 balls, four fours, two sixes) added 108 runs for the sixth wicket, taking Pakistan’s score to seven. Reached 252 runs on the wicket.
With the partnership of these two, Pakistan was successful in adding 102 runs in the last 10 overs. Opener Abdullah Shafiq also scored 52 runs in 69 balls with three fours and two sixes at the top of the order. Due to rain, the start of the match was delayed due to which it was reduced to 45 overs.
It rained again in the middle of the match due to which the number of overs in the match was again reduced to 42. Sri Lanka got the target of 252 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method. Mathisa Pathirana was the most successful bowler for Sri Lanka, taking three wickets for 65 runs. Pramod Madusan took two wickets for 58 runs.
Kusal Perera (17) showed sharp attitude for Sri Lanka while chasing the target. He hit three fours in two overs of Shaheen Shah Afridi (two wickets for 52 runs) but after that he was run out while trying to score fast runs. Nissanka and Kusal Mendis then took charge. After hitting two consecutive fours on Zaman, Nissanka also welcomed Mohammad Wasim with two consecutive fours.
Mendis also hit two fours on Shaheen. Sri Lanka’s half-century of runs was completed in the eighth over. Leg spinner Shadab Khan broke this partnership by catching Nissanka on his own ball. He scored 29 runs. After this, Mendis got a good partner in the form of Sadira Samaravikram. Samaravikram completed the team’s century with two fours off Shadab in the 18th over while Mendis also hit a four in this over.
Both of them preferred to rotate the strike and also taught the bad ball a lesson. Mendis completed his half-century in 47 balls with two runs off Mohammad Wasim. Sri Lanka needed 92 runs to win in the last 15 overs. Samaravikram completed the century partnership with Mendis by two runs on Iftikhar (three wickets for 50 runs) but was stumped by Rizwan on the next ball. Facing 51 balls, he hit four fours.
Mendis hit a four on Zaman while Charith Asalanka showed his flair with a six on Iftikhar. Mendis reduced the runs from the number of balls with a six on Iftikhar. However, in the next over of this spinner, he waved the ball in the air and got caught by Mohammad Haris. Sri Lanka needed 33 runs to win in the last five overs.
Iftikhar increased the troubles of Sri Lanka by getting captain Dasun Shanaka (02) caught by Nawaz. Asalanka reduced the gap between the ball and the run with a four off Shaheen and then sent Zaman’s ball to the boundary as well. Sri Lanka now needed 12 runs in the last two overs. Shaheen’s full toss was played by Dhananjay de Silva (05) into the hands of Wasim at long on, while the next ball was caught by Dunith Velalage (00) to wicketkeeper Rizwan.
Sri Lanka needed eight runs in Zaman’s last over. Only two runs were scored on the first three balls while Madusan was run out on the fourth ball. The fifth ball took the edge of Aslanka’s bat and went for four runs from the slip area. Asalanka ensured the team’s victory with two runs on the last ball of Zaman. Pakistan, who elected to bat after winning the toss, lost the wicket of Fakhar Zaman (04) in the fifth over itself, who was bowled by Madusan.
Shafiq and captain Babar Azam (29) took over the innings by adding 64 runs for the second wicket. Both of them took the team’s score to 40 runs for one wicket in 10 overs. Shafiq hit the first six of the innings on Dunith Velalage and then completed the team’s half-century of runs in the 12th over with a four on Pathirana. Babar hit fours on Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka and Pathirana but Velalage, who took five wickets in the last match against India, got him stumped by wicketkeeper Mendis.