Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six runs in ODI

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by six runs in a nail-biting contest to take a 1–0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

In the match played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Sri Lanka fell short of Pakistan’s 300-run target, managing 293 for nine in 50 overs. Wanindu Hasaranga, coming in at number eight, played a brilliant knock of 59 off 52 balls, taking his team close to victory but failing to see them over the line.

Among other batters, Sadeera Samarawickrama scored 39, Kamil Mishara made 38, and Pathum Nissanka contributed 29 runs.

For Pakistan, Haris Rauf was the pick of the bowlers, taking four wickets for 61 runs, while Faheem Ashraf and Naseem Shah claimed two wickets each.

Earlier, Pakistan posted 299 for five in their allotted 50 overs, thanks to an unbeaten century by Salman Ali Agha, a solid 62 from Hussain Talat, and an unbeaten 36 by Mohammad Nawaz, setting Sri Lanka a challenging target.

Salman Ali Agha played a brilliant unbeaten innings of 105 runs off 87 balls, hitting nine boundaries, to help Pakistan reach a challenging total of 299 for five in the first ODI against Sri Lanka.

Pakistan had lost four wickets for just 95 runs, but a superb 138-run partnership between Salman Ali Agha and Hussain Talat steadied the innings. Later, Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Nawaz added a further 66 runs, taking Pakistan’s total to 299.

Opener Saeem Ayub was dismissed for six runs, LBW to Fernando, at a team score of 14. Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam added 54 runs for the second wicket, but Zaman was stumped by the wicketkeeper off Hasaranga for 32 at 68 runs.

Mohammad Rizwan fell for five at 76, LBW to Hasaranga, while Babar Azam was clean bowled by Hasaranga for 29 runs off 51 balls at 95.

For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga took three wickets, while Asitha Fernando and Maheesh Theekshana claimed one wicket each.

Sri Lanka XI

Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka, Dilshan Liyanage, Chamindu Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana, Asitha Fernando

Pakistan XI

 Fakhar Zaman, Saeem Ayub, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah