In the eighth game of the ICC World Cup 2023 on Tuesday, Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan each scored a valiant century to help Pakistan complete the biggest World Cup run-chase.
Pakistan Beat Sri-Lanka: With Sri Lanka facing a challenging 345-run target, Pakistan scored the winning runs with 10 balls remaining to inflict them their second tournament defeat by six wickets.
Pakistan, on the other hand, had a very different start to the chase, falling to 37/2 in the eighth over when Imam-ul-Haq (12) and skipper Babar Azam (10) both failed to make significant contributions.
Mohammad Rizwan joined Abdullah Shafique in the middle after the slump, and the two started an amazing turnaround.
Throughout their long partnership, which saw them add 176 runs to the total and Abdullah score his first ODI century, they batted well.
Then, thanks to an amazing catch by substitute Dushan Hemantha, Matheesha Pathirana was able to remove the danger man Abdullah Shafique and free Sri Lanka from its constraints.
He hit 10 boundaries and three sixes while scoring 113 runs off 103 deliveries.
After that, Mohammad Rizwan took control of Pakistan’s run chase. He and Saud Shakeel, who made a 30-ball 31 before falling in the 45th over, stitched a vital 95-run partnership.
Iftikhar Ahmed, who reached 22 in just 10 balls to remain unbeaten, provided crucial assistance for Rizwan as he stood his ground and scored the winning runs for Pakistan in the last over.
In Pakistan’s second ICC World Cup 2023 match, Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with an unbeaten 131 in 121 deliveries, blasting eight boundaries and three sixes.
Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana each got one batter out while Dilshan Madushanka topped Sri Lanka’s bowling effort with 2/60.
By dominating the faltering Pakistani bowling attack to set a huge score, Sri Lankan batters who chose to bat first supported their captain’s choice by scoring hundreds from Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama.
Earlier, Sri Lanka’s innings got off to a shaky start as opener Kusal Perera was out for a four-ball duck in the second over with only five runs scored.
Following an early setback, Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka partnered up in the middle and put together an important 102-run partnership that lasted until Shadab Khan removed the latter in the 18th over.
Nissanka scored 51 runs off 61 balls while hitting seven boundaries and a six.
When he put together 111 runs for the third wicket with Sadeera Samarawickrama, Mendis was then a part of yet another century-plus partnership before succumbing in the 29th over.
He was the top scorer for Sri Lanka, scoring 122 runs in just 77 deliveries, including 14 boundaries and 6 sixes.
Samarawickrama took over Sri Lanka’s batting after he left and formed quick but significant partnerships with Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Dasun Shanaka before succumbing in the 48th over.
On his way to an 89-ball 108, Samarawickrama hammered 11 boundaries and two sixes.
After Samarawickrama was out, Pakistan’s bowlers regrouped themselves and staged a late return to halt the run flow, but Sri Lanka still managed to set a challenging mark for Babar Azam’s team.
With four wickets to his credit but a costly 71 runs in his 10 overs, Hasan Ali lead Pakistan’s bowling effort. Haris Rauf took two.
On the other hand, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, and Shaheen Shah Afridi each claimed one victim.