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RESULTODI1st Match · Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
Pakistan vs Sri Lanka
Pakistan won by 37 runs
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl
- Match
- Pakistan vs Sri Lanka, 1st Match
- Date
- 18 Oct 2026
- Start
- 13:30 IST · 08:00 GMT
- Venue
- Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
- Toss
- Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl
Venue guide
- Capacity
- 15,000
- Ends
- Pavilion End, Shell End
- Home to
- Pakistan, Rawalpindi
- Floodlights
- Yes
| Salman AghaPakistan · All-rounder | 107 (90)Bat · R (B) | 104s | 16s | 118.9SR | c Dasun Shanaka b Asitha FernandoOut |
PAKPakistan 305 (49.5)
SLSri Lanka 268 (48.1)
RUNS PER OVER
SCORE BY OVER
Final overs
Full commentary- So then! We had a spicy game today. Both teams had their noses ahead and one team completely threw it away. Both teams lost early wickets. Both had a good middle phase with the bat and both had collapses at the end overs. But in the end. Pakistan hung in there tight, kept wiping that wet ball and did not lose hope. The moment Sri Lanka blinked, they grabbed the game. Next up is Pakistan v England at the same venue. It could well be another exciting game folks. Can't wait for Tuesday! See you soon!
- Shaheen Afridi | Pakistan captain: (300 looked par on the surface) I think we were also going to bat first if we won the toss. But that was good because we are playing day after tomorrow again. We thought like we will see how to play the first ten overs and then go for 300. I think the way Agha batted was good. On Hasan Nawaz and Saad Baig doing well) Yeah, really happy about how Saad Baig was playing, and then Hasan Nawaz, after a long time, came into the ODI side. They played well with Agha and had a good partnership, which is really good for us. (You opted for your three-seam attack and Faheem Ashraf. All in all, what did you make of the bowling in the powerplay and then towards the death?) Yeah, we were just planning based on how the wicket was prepared for the games and the series. The wicket is good for fast bowlers, so we just went with three seamers. Maybe in the next few games, we'll go for four as well. So, I think we're just planning based on how the wicket is reacting and the way our batters are playing. That's good for us. (When Liyanage and Rathnayake were batting, what was the conversation like? Because it a matter of one wicket here or there? No, he was batting well. We just wanted a wicket at that time and tried to bowl a few bouncers, but yeah, he played well. That was a little bit of a funny conversation. (You can't tell us that funny one?) No (shakes his head and smiles).
- Kusal Mendis | Sri Lanka captain: (Pakistan got 305. What did you make of that total? Did you think it was par?) I think we had to play a little bit more positively in the powerplay. Those guys (Pakistan) batted really well. Then I think the runs were enough. Our bowlers bowled really well in the last ten overs. The bowling unit did really well. I think myself.. I took a few more dot balls in the powerplay. That's why we struggled a little bit in the powerplay. (But that middle order must have given you a lot of hope, when Liyanage and Rathnayake were batting) Yeah, of course. Janith and Rathnayake batted really well, and Kamindu Mendis batted really well in the powerplay. I think only a couple of guys didn't score runs, and we made a small mistake after the 40th over. But we have to learn a couple of things and be ready for the next match.
- Salman Agha | PoTM: (On his recent struggle and his decision to return to domestic cricket) I didn't have any other choice. Well, I didn't have much time. I struggled in those series (against West Indies and England), but I hadn't struggled before that in the last four years. But these kinds of times can come along as a cricketer. The only thing I was thinking was that I would go back and play domestic games and try to get things right, and that's what I did. I think that's paid off. (On building partnerships with Hassan Nawaz and accelerating the innings through the middle overs) I think the ball was coming really nicely at that time. So I just spoke to Hassan. I said, if we build a partnership here and play the way we play, we are both aggressive players, and we want to play the way we want to. If we do that, we can put pressure on them and score 300 runs, and that's what we did. (On his strike rate, running between the wickets and rotating the strike) I didn't want to take a risk at that time. I just wanted to score at a run-a-ball as well and didn't want to take a risk. So, for that, I had to run hard, and I was trying to hit the pockets, and I did. The outfield was slow as well, to be honest. Pindi usually has a very good outfield, but today it was a bit slow. That's why I had to run hard.
- Pakistan could not stem the flow, could not break the partnership. But then came the sudden shock from Sri Lanka. Both set batters Janith and Shanaka holed out in the space of 4 balls and coach Gary Kirsten was left fuming at the mindlessness in the middle. With enough time left, why will you give your wicket to Shaheen, who was finishing his spell he asked, pointing both fingers to the brain, pleading to use it better! Pakistan sniffed blood and they killed the game right there. Sri Lanka had very little resistance with the tail and Pakistan wiped out the last 5 wickets for just 15 runs. From 58 needed off 48 with 5 wickets in hand, Sri Lanka went on to lose by 37 runs! Pakistan holding their nerve under pressure, Sri Lanka throwing the game from the bag. That's the story for you.
- 21:23 Local Time, 16:23 GMT, 21:53 IST: This is a good fighting win for Pakistan and a hurting loss for Sri Lanka. This will definitely sting the Lankans. Coach Gary was so animated because his boys made a brilliant recovery. In fact, they were cruising to victory, until they threw the towel in in a mad last 30 minutes or so. Pakistan had it in full control for a good part early in this chase. Sri Lanka were 91/4 in the 20th over. Kamindu threw it away after getting a solid base. But then Janith walked in determined. With him came dew and he instilled belief into Pavan Rathnayake as well. The duo slowly dug in and the dew increased they knew batting was going to get easier. The partnership flourished to 119 runs. Shanaka walked in and played attacking cricket. He raced to 25 off 14 balls and that meant only 58 runs were needed off the last 8 overs.
- Over 49 · 0 runs (W) · 1 wkt
- 48.1WHaris Rauf to Asitha Fernando, out Bowled!! Timbaahh! That's the game for Pakistan and Haris Rauf doesn't hide his face. Length delivery on the off stump, Asitha backs away to slice it to third man and misses the ball completely. Asitha Fernando b Haris Rauf 7(10) [4s-1]
- Haris Rauf to Asitha Fernando, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!
- End of over 48 · 5 runs (0 0 4 0 0 1)SL 268/9Asitha Fernando 7(9) · Dilshan Madushanka 1(5) · Naseem Shah 10-0-43-2
- 47.61Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, 1 run, now he picks the slower ball and slaps it through cover-point
- 47.5•Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, no run, slower delivery, Asitha is not in the mood to get behind the line after that blow to the arm. Asitha swings across the line and misses. Ball escapes over the sticks
- 47.4•Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, no run, short delivery, Asitha looks to slash and misses
- 47.34Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, FOUR, yorker on the stumps, Asitha looks to squeeze it for four after backing away but gets an inside edge that escapes to fine leg
- 47.2•Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, no run, oh dear! He's smashed Asitha on the left arm just under the shoulder. Took his eyes off the ball and wore it on the muscular part under the shoulder. Naseem asks if Asitha is okay and Asitha gives the thumbs up
- 47.1•Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, no run, short delivery outside off stump, wants to ramp it fine but misses
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fakhar Zamanc Sachindu Colombage b Dilshan Madushanka | 16 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 84.2 |
| Saim Ayubc Janith Liyanage b Dilshan Madushanka | 7 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 87.5 |
| Babar Azamc Pavan Rathnayake b Eshan Malinga | 45 | 57 | 6 | 0 | 78.9 |
| Saad Baigc Sachindu Colombage b Eshan Malinga | 39 | 40 | 3 | 2 | 97.5 |
| Salman Aghac Dasun Shanaka b Asitha Fernando | 107 | 90 | 10 | 1 | 118.9 |
| Hasan Nawazc Pavan Rathnayake b Asitha Fernando | 37 | 49 | 2 | 2 | 75.5 |
| Arafat Minhasc Kamindu Mendis b Asitha Fernando | 18 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 120.0 |
| Faheem Ashrafc Kusal Mendis b Eshan Malinga | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 |
| Shaheen Afridi*not out | 13 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 108.3 |
| Naseem Shahlbw b Eshan Malinga | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Haris Raufrun out (Sahan Arachchige) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
Extras17 (b 0, lb 4, w 11, nb 2)
Total305 (49.5 ov, RR 6.12)
Fall of wickets: 23-1 (Saim Ayub, 3.4 ov), 32-2 (Fakhar Zaman, 5.5 ov), 106-3 (Babar Azam, 19.4 ov), 118-4 (Saad Baig, 21.5 ov), 215-5 (Hasan Nawaz, 37.2 ov), 279-6 (Arafat Minhas, 45.0 ov), 291-7 (Salman Agha, 46.5 ov), 293-8 (Faheem Ashraf, 47.2 ov), 293-9 (Naseem Shah, 47.3 ov), 305-10 (Haris Rauf, 49.5 ov)
| Bowler · SL | O | M | R | W | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asitha Fernando | 10 | 1 | 59 | 3 | 5.90 |
| Dilshan Madushanka | 10 | 0 | 67 | 2 | 6.70 |
| Dasun Shanaka | 7 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 5.86 |
| Eshan Malinga | 9.5 | 1 | 46 | 4 | 4.68 |
| Sachindu Colombage | 10 | 0 | 61 | 0 | 6.10 |
| Kamindu Mendis | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 9.50 |
| Sahan Arachchige | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 8.00 |
Pakistan- 1Saim AyubAll-rounder
- 2Fakhar ZamanBatter
- 3Babar AzamBatter
- 4Saad Baig(wk)Wicketkeeper
- 5Hasan NawazBatter
- 6Salman AghaAll-rounder
- 7Arafat MinhasBowler
- 8Faheem AshrafAll-rounder
- 9Shaheen Afridi(c)Bowler
- 10Naseem ShahBowler
- 11Haris RaufBowler
Bench
Sri Lanka- 1Avishka FernandoBatter
- 2Kamindu MendisAll-rounder
- 3Kusal Mendis(c)(wk)Wicketkeeper
- 4Pavan RathnayakeBatter
- 5Sahan ArachchigeAll-rounder
- 6Janith LiyanageAll-rounder
- 7Dasun ShanakaAll-rounder
- 8Sachindu ColombageBowler
- 9Eshan MalingaBowler
- 10Asitha FernandoBowler
- 11Dilshan MadushankaBowler
Bench
- 48.1WHaris Rauf to Asitha Fernando, out Bowled!! Timbaahh! That's the game for Pakistan and Haris Rauf doesn't hide his face. Length delivery on the off stump, Asitha backs away to slice it to third man and misses the ball completely. Asitha Fernando b Haris Rauf 7(10) [4s-1]
- 47.34Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, FOUR, yorker on the stumps, Asitha looks to squeeze it for four after backing away but gets an inside edge that escapes to fine leg
- 45.5WNaseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, out Eshan Malinga Run Out!! Sri Lanka want to go home early. Gary is not able to watch this mess and gets up from his seat to storm into the dressing room. There's going to be some strong words in that dressing room from the coach. Asitha pushed this full delivery to mid-on and set off, Eshan Malinga wasn't keen at all and got dragged out. Asitha kept running, Malinga tried to get back - both were running to the same end with the ball in the fielder's hands. Malinga eventually turns around and takes off, but he has no chance and he's short by a mile. Easy throw to the keeper. Eshan Malinga run out (Babar Azam/Saad Baig) 2(6)
- 45.4WNaseem Shah to Sachindu Colombage, out Caught by Saad Baig!! The Lankans have crumbled under pressure. Short of a length delivery outside off stump, Sachindu Colombage hops and pokes at it as he chases at it with fear. Outside edge goes straight to the keeper and Pakistan are getting close to that first win in this series. Sachindu Colombage c Saad Baig b Naseem Shah 1(4)
- 44.2WShaheen Afridi to Dasun Shanaka, out Caught by Babar Azam!! Is this the game now? Shaheen forces a mishit and gets the big fish. Dasun Shanaka could have single-handedly taken the Lankans over the line. And the camera pans to Gary Kirsten who gestures to the use the brain more. The coach isn't happy with two set batters throwing it away at the fence. Another slot ball gets a wicket and no wonder Gary reacted like that. Shanaka wanted a six, complete mishit and long-on takes a simple catch. Ball went off the bottom of the bat. Gary is absolutely livid and questions what kind of shot/thought process was it from the experienced man! Dasun Shanaka c Babar Azam b Shaheen Afridi 28(18) [4s-3 6s-1]
- 43.4WHaris Rauf to Janith Liyanage, out Caught by Babar Azam!! Oh he's picked out the fielder and the promising 43-run stand ends. Haris Rauf roars and fist pumps! He knows how big this wicket is because Janith was so determined to take Sri Lanka home. Length delivery, not a wicket taking ball so Janith wanted to hit it over the fence, picked out long-on instead. Puts his head down and walks off so dejected. Janith Liyanage c Babar Azam b Haris Rauf 60(74) [4s-5]
- 42.4OTeam milestoneShaheen Afridi to Dasun Shanaka, 1 run, short of a good length and just outside off - dabbed in front of square on the off-side for a quick single
- 41.64Haris Rauf to Dasun Shanaka, FOUR, beautifully played, fuller length delivery and angling into the pads- Shanaka gets inside the line, turns his wrists and then flicks it behind square on the on-side. The dew takes care of the rest as the ball splits the two men in the deep
- 40.44Arafat Minhas to Janith Liyanage, FOUR, this is good cricket from Liyanage - comes down the pitch, gets close to the ball and then bludgeons the drive back past the non-striker - long-on is wide and has no chance - 8th ODI fifty for Liyanage
- 40.26Arafat Minhas to Dasun Shanaka, SIX, smashed, dragged short by Minhas - Shanaka picks the length early, swivels across and then nails the pull over deep mid-wicket for a maximum
- 39.64Faheem Ashraf to Dasun Shanaka, FOUR, cracking shot, tad too full and wide of off - Shanaka leans into the drive and caresses it through extra-cover. A Valiant chase from mid-off, the fielder gets to the ball, but can only parry it to the ropes - Ghazi Ghori, the man
- 37.34Faheem Ashraf to Dasun Shanaka, FOUR, nicely played, short and into the body - Shanaka gets inside the line, uses his wrists to keep the pull down and then uses Faheem's pace to place it behind square on the on-side
- 37.2WFaheem Ashraf to Pavan Rathnayake, out Caught by Salman Agha!! That's a soft dismissal and Faheem Ashraf has broken through for Pakistan. A length ball outside off - Rathnayake had backed away on the drive, but went half-heartedly at the shot, did so with hard hands and hit it straight into the hands of Salman Agha at cover. He's gutted as he walks away - was looking so good and he'd feel he missed out on a bigger score. Pavan Rathnayake c Salman Agha b Faheem Ashraf 79(74) [4s-6 6s-2]
- 36.64Arafat Minhas to Janith Liyanage, FOUR, drilled, that was a chnace, but Minhas was taking evasive action - Liyanage came down the pitch, got right to the ball and hammered it back at the bowler. Went straight back at him, but Minhas was more concerned at preserving himself and got out of the way - can only afford a wry smile at the end
- 35.5OTeam milestoneFaheem Ashraf to Janith Liyanage, 2 runs, short and wide of off - Liyanage lets the ball come and then cuts it square past point. The dew in the outfield makes the ball skid and they're back for the second
- 34.14Arafat Minhas to Pavan Rathnayake, FOUR, they have raced past 100 in this stand! Shortish delivery on the stumps, Pavan rocks back and pulls over mid-wicket to start the over on a high
- 33.44Shaheen Afridi to Janith Liyanage, FOUR, short delivery on the leg stump, Janith rocks back and pulls fine, sends it through fine leg
- 31.36Shaheen Afridi to Pavan Rathnayake, SIX, the third spell isn't turning out to be as great for Shaheen Afridi. Pavan rocks back, this time it's shorter and he's absolutely muscled the pull shot flat over backward square leg for six more
- 31.26Shaheen Afridi to Pavan Rathnayake, SIX, short delivery, pulled away! Oh he's hit it so flat that it's gone all the way. Such a hard hit and it hardly looked like a six
- 30.1FFiftyArafat Minhas to Pavan Rathnayake, 1 run, driven to long-on and that's his first fifty in ODIs. The last time he got a fifty he converted that into a hundred and his teammates stand and applaud
- 28.14Faheem Ashraf to Pavan Rathnayake, FOUR, full and on the pads, Pavan flicks through mid-wicket and it hits the gap to the right of mid-wicket. No one in the deep to cut it off
- 26.14Faheem Ashraf to Pavan Rathnayake, FOUR, edgeddd but no slip! Good length delivery angling in, Pavan pokes at it and gets a thick edge that escapes through the vacant cordon. The ball is still seaming and they don't have a slip!
- 25.54Naseem Shah to Janith Liyanage, FOUR, wow! Delightful shot! Full delivery outside off stump, Janith leans forward and plays a brilliant cover drive to the left of the diving mid-off fielder
- 24.14Saim Ayub to Pavan Rathnayake, FOUR, great use of the feet here! Stepped out, reached to the pitch of this flighted delivery and played with the turn, neat cover drive and the timing was excellent
- 23.64Haris Rauf to Janith Liyanage, FOUR, top edge on the pull but it goes fine and beats the fine leg fielder easily to the right. Janith is meaning business. He's up for a fight tonight. 11 off this over - the best of the innings for Sri Lanka
- 22.54Saim Ayub to Pavan Rathnayake, FOUR, clubbed, fraction short and just outside off - it doesn't bounce a lot, so Rathnayake goes back and then hammers the pull over wide mid-wicket for a boundary
- 21.4OTeam milestoneHaris Rauf to Janith Liyanage, 1 run, on a length and angling into the right-hander, nudged in front of the non-striker and they're off for a quick single
- 20.64Arafat Minhas to Pavan Rathnayake, FOUR, short and outside off stump, Pavan reaches for it and cuts it past point for four
- 19.3WShaheen Afridi to Sahan Arachchige, out Caught by Saad Baig!! This time it's taken the outside edge and lobs slowly to the keeper for a good low catch. Shaheen looks back at the ump in his celebration to confirm if it went off the bat. Fullish and angling in, then moving away slightly, Sahan Arachchige was never comfortable and pushes with hard hands as he gets squared up, only to nick off to the keeper. Two wickets in two overs since returning to the attack for the skipper. Sahan Arachchige c Saad Baig b Shaheen Afridi 3(5)
- 17.5WShaheen Afridi to Kamindu Mendis, out Caught by Faheem Ashraf!! Did he get carried away with the previous drive? Was a textbook straight drive and the moment he saw Shaheen offer another fullie, he went for another drive. This time wanted to go aerial and ended up completely mistiming it. Seemed like he stopped himself from going fully on and the result was a chip straight to mid-off. What have I done? asks Kamindu to himself and drags off. The bowling change has worked for the hosts. Kamindu Mendis c Faheem Ashraf b Shaheen Afridi 44(50) [4s-4]
- 17.44Shaheen Afridi to Kamindu Mendis, FOUR, oh belted down the ground! Full delivery on the stumps, Kamindu waits and plays a lovely straight drive, showing the full face of the bat to the bowler
- 13.5WFaheem Ashraf to Kusal Mendis, out Caught by Saim Ayub!! This time Saim Ayub doesn't not move and takes it straight down his throat at backward point, having dropped Kusal few minutes before at the same spot. Just as Kusal was middling everything, he gifts his wicket. Simple short of length delivery outside off stump, let me put the ball there and wait for the pitch and batter to react kind of ball. Kusal waited and cut it hard, wonderful sound off the bat but the placement wasn't right. Saim took this sitter. Sri Lanka two down. Kusal Mendis c Saim Ayub b Faheem Ashraf 18(34) [4s-2]
- 13.44Faheem Ashraf to Kusal Mendis, FOUR, nails the pull shot! Short of a length delivery, sat up and asked for punishment. Kusal obliged by swivelling and smashing it over mid-wicket
- 12.44Haris Rauf to Kamindu Mendis, FOUR, cheeky but effective! Haris tried the bumper to cramp him for room. Kamindu says no problem, I can lean back and ramp it over the keeper's head for four and executes the shot so well
- 11.2OTeam fiftyFaheem Ashraf to Kamindu Mendis, 2 runs, short of length delivery, clipped to long leg for a couple of runs
- 10.5DDropped catchHaris Rauf to Kusal Mendis, 1 run, in and out at point - Saim Ayub the culprit! He needlessly moved to his right when it was coming straight to him. He cannot believe that he's not grabbed this sitter. Short of a length delivery outside off stump, Kusal stays leg-side and cuts in the air. Didn't control it at all. Saim made mess of it and sits on the floor, still rattled of how he didn't cling on. Looks like he didn't even get his hands on it and the ball hit the tummy
- 8.14Haris Rauf to Kusal Mendis, FOUR, a gentle start from Rauf - back of a length and well down leg, Kusal gets inside the line and tickles it fine - Rauf's pace does the rest as the fielder at long leg is beaten
- 5.3WNaseem Shah to Avishka Fernando, out Caught by Faheem Ashraf!!A tag-catch and Saad Baig will be mighty relieved - banged in short and Avishka was looking to help it on its way with the swivel pull. Extra bounce though and he isn't in control over the shot - gets a massive top-edge, high into the Pindi night-sky. Saad Baig ran back, Faheem ran in from long leg. The keeper had it covered, but the ball popped out of his grasp and went straight into the hands of Faheem, who bends down and completes the catch. A let-off for Saad Baig as Sri Lanka lose their first wicket. Avishka Fernando c Faheem Ashraf b Naseem Shah 5(9) [4s-1]
- 5.24Naseem Shah to Avishka Fernando, FOUR, that's easy for Avishka - on a length and angling into the pads, Avishka gets inside the line and whips it very fine, beating long leg to his right
- 4.14Shaheen Afridi to Kamindu Mendis, FOUR, creamed, overpitched and wide of off - Kamindu leans forward, opens the face of the bat and then threads the gap past extra-cover with a free-flowing drive
- 3.6UDRS reviewNaseem Shah to Avishka Fernando, no run, a massive appeal for caught behind. Naseem is convinced and implores his captain into a review - was full and shaping away from wide of off, Avishka went chasing after it, was there a thin edge on its way to the keeper? Onto UltraEdge and there's a flat line. 'Clear gap between bat and ball', says Sharfuddoula Saikat and the onfield call stays - Pakistan lose a review
- 3.24Naseem Shah to Kamindu Mendis, FOUR, edged and four, Kamindu has got lucky here - nipped back in from a length and Kamindu was looking to whip it onto the on-side - but the ball straightened, caught the edge and then flew off the thigh-pad - Saad Baig was already moving to his right and then can't react it time, watches it fly between himself and the man at slip
- 1.3DDropped catchNaseem Shah to Kamindu Mendis, no run, uppish and just short of mid-off - Shaheen slid forward, but the ball was always falling in front of him. Was a full ball and Kamindu drove with hard hands, wasn't in control and gets away
- So then! We had a spicy game today. Both teams had their noses ahead and one team completely threw it away. Both teams lost early wickets. Both had a good middle phase with the bat and both had collapses at the end overs. But in the end. Pakistan hung in there tight, kept wiping that wet ball and did not lose hope. The moment Sri Lanka blinked, they grabbed the game. Next up is Pakistan v England at the same venue. It could well be another exciting game folks. Can't wait for Tuesday! See you soon!
- Shaheen Afridi | Pakistan captain: (300 looked par on the surface) I think we were also going to bat first if we won the toss. But that was good because we are playing day after tomorrow again. We thought like we will see how to play the first ten overs and then go for 300. I think the way Agha batted was good. On Hasan Nawaz and Saad Baig doing well) Yeah, really happy about how Saad Baig was playing, and then Hasan Nawaz, after a long time, came into the ODI side. They played well with Agha and had a good partnership, which is really good for us. (You opted for your three-seam attack and Faheem Ashraf. All in all, what did you make of the bowling in the powerplay and then towards the death?) Yeah, we were just planning based on how the wicket was prepared for the games and the series. The wicket is good for fast bowlers, so we just went with three seamers. Maybe in the next few games, we'll go for four as well. So, I think we're just planning based on how the wicket is reacting and the way our batters are playing. That's good for us. (When Liyanage and Rathnayake were batting, what was the conversation like? Because it a matter of one wicket here or there? No, he was batting well. We just wanted a wicket at that time and tried to bowl a few bouncers, but yeah, he played well. That was a little bit of a funny conversation. (You can't tell us that funny one?) No (shakes his head and smiles).
- Kusal Mendis | Sri Lanka captain: (Pakistan got 305. What did you make of that total? Did you think it was par?) I think we had to play a little bit more positively in the powerplay. Those guys (Pakistan) batted really well. Then I think the runs were enough. Our bowlers bowled really well in the last ten overs. The bowling unit did really well. I think myself.. I took a few more dot balls in the powerplay. That's why we struggled a little bit in the powerplay. (But that middle order must have given you a lot of hope, when Liyanage and Rathnayake were batting) Yeah, of course. Janith and Rathnayake batted really well, and Kamindu Mendis batted really well in the powerplay. I think only a couple of guys didn't score runs, and we made a small mistake after the 40th over. But we have to learn a couple of things and be ready for the next match.
- Salman Agha | PoTM: (On his recent struggle and his decision to return to domestic cricket) I didn't have any other choice. Well, I didn't have much time. I struggled in those series (against West Indies and England), but I hadn't struggled before that in the last four years. But these kinds of times can come along as a cricketer. The only thing I was thinking was that I would go back and play domestic games and try to get things right, and that's what I did. I think that's paid off. (On building partnerships with Hassan Nawaz and accelerating the innings through the middle overs) I think the ball was coming really nicely at that time. So I just spoke to Hassan. I said, if we build a partnership here and play the way we play, we are both aggressive players, and we want to play the way we want to. If we do that, we can put pressure on them and score 300 runs, and that's what we did. (On his strike rate, running between the wickets and rotating the strike) I didn't want to take a risk at that time. I just wanted to score at a run-a-ball as well and didn't want to take a risk. So, for that, I had to run hard, and I was trying to hit the pockets, and I did. The outfield was slow as well, to be honest. Pindi usually has a very good outfield, but today it was a bit slow. That's why I had to run hard.
- Pakistan could not stem the flow, could not break the partnership. But then came the sudden shock from Sri Lanka. Both set batters Janith and Shanaka holed out in the space of 4 balls and coach Gary Kirsten was left fuming at the mindlessness in the middle. With enough time left, why will you give your wicket to Shaheen, who was finishing his spell he asked, pointing both fingers to the brain, pleading to use it better! Pakistan sniffed blood and they killed the game right there. Sri Lanka had very little resistance with the tail and Pakistan wiped out the last 5 wickets for just 15 runs. From 58 needed off 48 with 5 wickets in hand, Sri Lanka went on to lose by 37 runs! Pakistan holding their nerve under pressure, Sri Lanka throwing the game from the bag. That's the story for you.
- 21:23 Local Time, 16:23 GMT, 21:53 IST: This is a good fighting win for Pakistan and a hurting loss for Sri Lanka. This will definitely sting the Lankans. Coach Gary was so animated because his boys made a brilliant recovery. In fact, they were cruising to victory, until they threw the towel in in a mad last 30 minutes or so. Pakistan had it in full control for a good part early in this chase. Sri Lanka were 91/4 in the 20th over. Kamindu threw it away after getting a solid base. But then Janith walked in determined. With him came dew and he instilled belief into Pavan Rathnayake as well. The duo slowly dug in and the dew increased they knew batting was going to get easier. The partnership flourished to 119 runs. Shanaka walked in and played attacking cricket. He raced to 25 off 14 balls and that meant only 58 runs were needed off the last 8 overs.
- Over 49 · 0 runs (W) · 1 wkt
- 48.1WHaris Rauf to Asitha Fernando, out Bowled!! Timbaahh! That's the game for Pakistan and Haris Rauf doesn't hide his face. Length delivery on the off stump, Asitha backs away to slice it to third man and misses the ball completely. Asitha Fernando b Haris Rauf 7(10) [4s-1]
- Haris Rauf to Asitha Fernando, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!
- End of over 48 · 5 runs (0 0 4 0 0 1)SL 268/9Asitha Fernando 7(9) · Dilshan Madushanka 1(5) · Naseem Shah 10-0-43-2
- 47.61Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, 1 run, now he picks the slower ball and slaps it through cover-point
- 47.5•Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, no run, slower delivery, Asitha is not in the mood to get behind the line after that blow to the arm. Asitha swings across the line and misses. Ball escapes over the sticks
- 47.4•Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, no run, short delivery, Asitha looks to slash and misses
- 47.34Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, FOUR, yorker on the stumps, Asitha looks to squeeze it for four after backing away but gets an inside edge that escapes to fine leg
- 47.2•Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, no run, oh dear! He's smashed Asitha on the left arm just under the shoulder. Took his eyes off the ball and wore it on the muscular part under the shoulder. Naseem asks if Asitha is okay and Asitha gives the thumbs up
- 47.1•Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, no run, short delivery outside off stump, wants to ramp it fine but misses
- End of over 47 · 3 runs (1 0 1 1 0 0)SL 263/9Dilshan Madushanka 1(5) · Asitha Fernando 2(3) · Haris Rauf 9-0-48-1
- 46.6•Haris Rauf to Dilshan Madushanka, no run, good length delivery outside off stump, Madushanka looks to push and misses
- 46.5•Haris Rauf to Dilshan Madushanka, no run, short of length delivery outside off stump, swings and misses
- 46.41Haris Rauf to Asitha Fernando, 1 run, mistimes the drive to long-on
- 46.31Haris Rauf to Dilshan Madushanka, 1 run, very full delivery, Madushanka squeezes it square of the wicket to the off-side
- 46.2•Haris Rauf to Dilshan Madushanka, no run, short delivery, Madushanka avoids
- 46.11Haris Rauf to Asitha Fernando, 1 run, knocked down to fine leg
- Haris Rauf [8.0-0-45-1] is back into the attack
- End of over 46 · 3 runs (1 1 1 W W 0) · 2 wktSL 260/9Dilshan Madushanka 0(1) · Asitha Fernando 0(1) · Naseem Shah 9-0-38-2
- 45.6•Naseem Shah to Dilshan Madushanka, no run, very full, Madushanka keeps it out
- Dilshan Madushanka, right handed bat, comes to the crease
- 45.5WNaseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, out Eshan Malinga Run Out!! Sri Lanka want to go home early. Gary is not able to watch this mess and gets up from his seat to storm into the dressing room. There's going to be some strong words in that dressing room from the coach. Asitha pushed this full delivery to mid-on and set off, Eshan Malinga wasn't keen at all and got dragged out. Asitha kept running, Malinga tried to get back - both were running to the same end with the ball in the fielder's hands. Malinga eventually turns around and takes off, but he has no chance and he's short by a mile. Easy throw to the keeper. Eshan Malinga run out (Babar Azam/Saad Baig) 2(6)
- Naseem Shah to Asitha Fernando, THATS OUT!! Run Out!!
- Sri Lanka are nine down!
- Asitha Fernando, right handed bat, comes to the crease
- 45.4WNaseem Shah to Sachindu Colombage, out Caught by Saad Baig!! The Lankans have crumbled under pressure. Short of a length delivery outside off stump, Sachindu Colombage hops and pokes at it as he chases at it with fear. Outside edge goes straight to the keeper and Pakistan are getting close to that first win in this series. Sachindu Colombage c Saad Baig b Naseem Shah 1(4)
- Naseem Shah to Sachindu Colombage, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
- 45.31Naseem Shah to Eshan Malinga, 1 run, fullish delivery outside off stump, Eshan Malinga looks to drive, toe-ends it to third man
- 45.21Naseem Shah to Sachindu Colombage, 1 run, opens the bat face and dabs this length delivery to third man
- 45.11Naseem Shah to Eshan Malinga, 1 run, short of length delivery outside off stump, Malinga cuts, man at backward point dives and gets a hand on it. Fielder has a shy at the stumps but misses
- Naseem Shah [8.0-0-35-1] is back into the attack
- Shaheen is done and Gary's reaction when Shanaka got out makes even more sense. He expected Shanaka to do the math and target the right bowlers/balls
- End of over 45 · 4 runs (wd 2 W 0 0 0 1lb) · 1 wktSL 257/7Eshan Malinga 0(4) · Sachindu Colombage 0(2) · Shaheen Afridi 10-0-55-3
- 44.61lbShaheen Afridi to Eshan Malinga, leg byes, 1 run, full and angling down the leg-side, Eshan Malinga misses the flick. Ball rolls to the on-side off the pad
- 44.5•Shaheen Afridi to Eshan Malinga, no run, fullish and outside off stump, Eshan Malinga looks to drive but misses
- 44.4•Shaheen Afridi to Eshan Malinga, no run, fullish delivery, Eshan Malinga knocks it gently
- 44.3•Shaheen Afridi to Eshan Malinga, no run, keeps it out
- Eshan Malinga, left handed bat, comes to the crease
- 44.2WShaheen Afridi to Dasun Shanaka, out Caught by Babar Azam!! Is this the game now? Shaheen forces a mishit and gets the big fish. Dasun Shanaka could have single-handedly taken the Lankans over the line. And the camera pans to Gary Kirsten who gestures to the use the brain more. The coach isn't happy with two set batters throwing it away at the fence. Another slot ball gets a wicket and no wonder Gary reacted like that. Shanaka wanted a six, complete mishit and long-on takes a simple catch. Ball went off the bottom of the bat. Gary is absolutely livid and questions what kind of shot/thought process was it from the experienced man! Dasun Shanaka c Babar Azam b Shaheen Afridi 28(18) [4s-3 6s-1]
- Shaheen Afridi to Dasun Shanaka, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
- 44.12Shaheen Afridi to Dasun Shanaka, 2 runs, low full toss, clipped away through mid-wicket
- 44.1wdShaheen Afridi to Dasun Shanaka, wide, short of length delivery down the leg-side, Shanaka misses the tickle
- Pakistan have nicely pulled it back in the last two overs: 5 runs, 1 wicket
- End of over 44 · 2 runs (0 2 0 W 0 0) · 1 wktSL 253/6Sachindu Colombage 0(2) · Dasun Shanaka 26(16) · Haris Rauf 8-0-45-1
- 43.6•Haris Rauf to Sachindu Colombage, no run, beaten! Short of a length delivery outside off stump, Sachindu looks to dab late and misses. Just 2 off the over and a wicket in it
- 43.5•Haris Rauf to Sachindu Colombage, no run, full delivery on the stumps, Sachindu gets his bat down in time and defends
- Sachindu Colombage, right handed bat, comes to the crease
- 43.4WHaris Rauf to Janith Liyanage, out Caught by Babar Azam!! Oh he's picked out the fielder and the promising 43-run stand ends. Haris Rauf roars and fist pumps! He knows how big this wicket is because Janith was so determined to take Sri Lanka home. Length delivery, not a wicket taking ball so Janith wanted to hit it over the fence, picked out long-on instead. Puts his head down and walks off so dejected. Janith Liyanage c Babar Azam b Haris Rauf 60(74) [4s-5]
- Haris Rauf to Janith Liyanage, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
- 43.3•Haris Rauf to Janith Liyanage, no run, short of length delivery on the stumps, Janith looks to pull, gets an inside edge onto thigh pad
- 43.22Haris Rauf to Janith Liyanage, 2 runs, this is high but deep cover can't quickly get to his left and try for a catch.
- 43.1•Haris Rauf to Janith Liyanage, no run, oh dear! He's smashed that drive but smashed the stumps at the other end. Would have been a boundary
- Seven overs left, Sri Lanka neded 55 runs - they'll need this pair to bat deep
- End of over 43 · 3 runs (0 0 1 1 1 0)SL 251/5Dasun Shanaka 26(16) · Janith Liyanage 58(70) · Shaheen Afridi 9-0-52-2
- 42.6•Shaheen Afridi to Dasun Shanaka, no run, on a good length and at the stumps, defended with a straight bat to mid-on
- 42.51Shaheen Afridi to Janith Liyanage, 1 run, banged in short and at the right-hander - Liyanage muscles the pull through mid-wicket for a single
- 42.41Shaheen Afridi to Dasun Shanaka, 1 run, short of a good length and just outside off - dabbed in front of square on the off-side for a quick single
- 42.31Shaheen Afridi to Janith Liyanage, 1 run, fuller length delivery at the pads, clipped in front of square on the on-side for a single
- 42.2•Shaheen Afridi to Janith Liyanage, no run, tad fuller and just outside off - punched off the back-foot to cover
- 42.1•Shaheen Afridi to Janith Liyanage, no run, short of a good length and just outside off - punched off the back-foot to cover-point
- Shaheen Afridi [8.0-0-49-2] is back into the attack
- End of over 42 · 10 runs (2 1 2 0 1 4)SL 248/5Dasun Shanaka 25(14) · Janith Liyanage 56(66) · Haris Rauf 7-0-43-0
- 41.64Haris Rauf to Dasun Shanaka, FOUR, beautifully played, fuller length delivery and angling into the pads- Shanaka gets inside the line, turns his wrists and then flicks it behind square on the on-side. The dew takes care of the rest as the ball splits the two men in the deep
- 41.51Haris Rauf to Janith Liyanage, 1 run, short and just outside off - whipped through mid-wicket for a single
- 41.4•Haris Rauf to Janith Liyanage, no run, tad fuller and just outside off - driven straight to the fielder at cover
- 41.32Haris Rauf to Janith Liyanage, 2 runs, the wheels are coming off Pakistan - fuller length delivery outside off and Liyanage softens the bottom-hand on the drive to mid-off. The throw is at the keeper who can't stop it cleanly and allows a single
- 41.21Haris Rauf to Dasun Shanaka, 1 run, short of a good length and just outside off - pushed in front of mid-on, a fumble allows the single
- 41.12Haris Rauf to Dasun Shanaka, 2 runs, a chip- drive and Shanaka gets it straight off mid-off - was looking to work it onto the on-side and closed the face of the bat, gets lucky in the end
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