SAJEEWA JAYAKODY
Pakistan extended their unbeaten streak against Sri Lanka in World Cup clashes to eight, achieving a historic victory by successfully chasing down 343, the highest run target in ICC World Cup history. The thrilling match played at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Tuesday,Oct.10, ending in Pakistan’s comprehensive six-wicket triumph over Sri Lanka, with 10 balls to spare.
Despite battling occasional cramps, Pakistan’s wicketkeeper, Mohammad Rizwan, delivered an extraordinary performance, crafting a gem of an innings. Rizwan not only scored his maiden ICC World Cup century, amassing 131 runs off 121 balls, but also proved his prowess behind the stumps with three crucial catches. His outstanding contributions earned him the well-deserved title of Player of the Match.
Sri Lankan bowler Dilshan Madushanka made early breakthroughs by dismissing Pakistan’s opener, Imam-ul-Haq, and captain Babar Azam within the initial eight overs, placing Pakistan on the backfoot. However, the game’s turning point materialized when Sri Lankan fielders, Dilshan Madushanka and Pethum Nissanka, stationed deep in the fine-leg and square leg positions, failed to make an effort to catch Pakistan’s opener, Abdullah Shafique. Shafique, granted a reprieve at 29, capitalized on this opportunity and went on to craft an impressive 113 runs off 103 balls, a hundred in his debut World Cup game, forming a formidable 176-run partnership for the third wicket.
Overall, Sri Lanka’s fielding performance left much to be desired, with the exception of substitute Dushan Hemantha’s spectacular catch at point to dismiss centurion Shafique. Due to cramps, regular wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis did not come to the field, and Samarawickrama took the gloves instead. The rest of Sri Lanka’s fielding was subpar, and their bowling lacked discipline, with young Matheesha Pathirana conceding 90 runs off his nine overs, including nine wides.
In the initial stages of the match, Sri Lanka opted to bat first, with Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama delivering fluent centuries to lay a solid foundation. Mendis, in particular, showcased exceptional form by recording Sri Lanka’s fastest World Cup century in just 65 balls, surpassing Kumar Sangakkara’s previous record of 71 balls against England in 2015. Samarawickrama also impressed by scoring his maiden One Day International century, exhibiting precise timing and exceptional ball execution.
However, the game’s critical juncture unfolded as Sri Lanka struggled in the final 10 overs, managing to score only 61 runs while losing four wickets. This shortfall in their innings had a significant impact, with Sri Lanka unable to finish strongly.
With this consecutive win, Pakistan secured the second spot in the highly important points table of the 10-team tournament, underlining their strong performance in the ICC World Cup.
Chief scores:
Sri Lanka 344/9 (in 50 overs): Kusal Mendis 122, Sadeera Samarawickrama 108, Pathum Nissanka 51, Dhananjaya de Silva 25, Hasan Ali 4/71, Haris Rauf 2/64).
Pakistan innings 345/4 (in 48.2 overs): Mohammad Rizwan 131 n.o, Abdullah Shafique 113, Iftikhar Ahmed 22 n.o, Dilshan Madushanka 2/60).
The caption:
Mohammad Rizwan’s century kept Pakistan on track
