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Pakistan’s batting lineup recovered strongly after early jitters to post a competitive total of 299 for 5 in their allotted 50 overs against Sri Lanka. Despite losing four wickets cheaply inside the first 25 overs, contributions from Salman Agha and Hussain Talat ensured the innings did not collapse, giving Pakistan a solid platform for the chase.
Early Struggles for Pakistan
Pakistan’s top order struggled to negotiate Sri Lanka’s spinners early on the pitch. Fakhar Zaman (32 off 55) fell to Wanindu Hasaranga, while Saim Ayub was trapped lbw by Asitha Fernando for a mere 6. Babar Azam, another early casualty, was dismissed by Hasaranga after scoring 29. Mohammad Rizwan also fell lbw to Hasaranga for 5, leaving Pakistan in deep trouble at 95 for 4. The early use of both Sri Lanka reviews in the first 11 overs meant they missed the opportunity to strike again when Pakistan was vulnerable, potentially costing them key wickets.
Middle-Order Rescue by Agha and Talat
Salman Agha played a brilliant innings of 105* off 87 balls, anchored the innings, and countered Sri Lanka’s spinners with precise placement and a strike rate of 120.69. Hussain Talat added 62 off 63 balls, supporting Agha well and keeping the scoreboard moving. Mohammad Nawaz chipped in with a quickfire 36* off 23 deliveries to help Pakistan reach the 300-run mark, ensuring they set a challenging total for the hosts.
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Sri Lanka’s Bowling Performance
Wanindu Hasaranga was the standout bowler for Sri Lanka, taking 3 wickets for 54 runs in his 10 overs, while Asitha Fernando and Maheesh Theekshana chipped in with one wicket each. Dushmantha Chameera and Janith Liyanage were expensive, conceding 63 and 48 runs respectively in their 10 and 8 overs. Charith Asalanka’s two-over spell went for 18 runs, reflecting the lack of early breakthroughs.
Key Points for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka may rue selecting only two pacers on a pitch that offered little for spin. Additionally, burning both reviews in the first 11 overs could prove costly, as they missed a chance to dismiss Pakistan’s top-order cheaply. With 299 on the board, the onus is now on Sri Lanka to craft a strategic chase.
PAK 1st innings scorecard:
| Pakistan (50 ovs maximum) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | ||||||||||||||
| Fakhar Zaman | st †BKG Mendis b Hasaranga | 32 | 55 | 81 | 2 | 1 | 58.18 | |||||||||||||
| Saim Ayub | lbw b Fernando | 6 | 14 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 42.85 | |||||||||||||
| Babar Azam | b Hasaranga | 29 | 51 | 81 | 3 | 0 | 56.86 | |||||||||||||
| Mohammad Rizwan † | lbw b Hasaranga | 5 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 62.5 | |||||||||||||
| Salman Agha | not out | 105 | 87 | 144 | 9 | 0 | 120.68 | |||||||||||||
| Hussain Talat | lbw b Theekshana | 62 | 63 | 89 | 6 | 1 | 98.41 | |||||||||||||
| Mohammad Nawaz | not out | 36 | 23 | 36 | 5 | 1 | 156.52 | |||||||||||||
| Extras | (b 1, lb 9, nb 1, w 13) | 24 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 50 Ov (RR: 5.98) | 299/5 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ECON | 0s | 4s | 6s | WD | NB | ||||||||||
| Asitha Fernando | 10 | 2 | 42 | 1 | 4.2 | 35 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Dushmantha Chameera | 10 | 1 | 63 | 0 | 6.3 | 32 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Maheesh Theekshana | 10 | 0 | 64 | 1 | 6.4 | 24 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||
| Janith Liyanage | 8 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 10 | 0 | 54 | 3 | 5.4 | 30 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Charith Asalanka | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
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