Dubai: Sri Lanka have restricted Pakistan a total of 121 runs in the last match of super 4 round of Asia Cup 2022.
Earlier, Sri Lanka have won the toss and opted to field first.
Sri Lanka restrict Pakistan to a total of 121 🏏#AsiaCup2022 | #SLvPAK pic.twitter.com/PZLYtTNmMg
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 9, 2022
Hasaranga de Silva led the charge as spinners wreaked havoc on Pakistan’s batting line as Sri Lanka bowled out the Green Shirts for a meagre total of 121.
Hasaranga remained impressive with the ball as he bagged three crucial wickets along with Maheesh Theekshana who claimed two, to restrict Pakistan to a low total.
Pakistan went for a dismal start to their innings after they were put to bat as opener Mohammad Rizwan fell cheaply on 14 in the fourth over. None of the batters impressed with top scoring for the side with this cautious 30 off 29.
Despite a valiant knock by Nawaz as he smashed 26 off 18, Pakistan lost last five wickets for the addition of mere 31 runs.
For Sri Lanka, apart from Hasaranga and Theekshana, right-arm pacer Pramod Madushan claimed two wickets.
It is the first of two Pakistan vs Sri Lanka matches to finish the Asia Cup off..
On their way here, both teams have done a lot of high-class chasing. Sri Lanka set a Sharjah ground record when they ran down 176 against Afghanistan.
Pakistan chasing 182 against India with one ball to spare was perhaps even more impressive, before Sri Lanka also defeated India with one ball to spare soon after.
Although Pakistan’s middle and lower orders collapsed against Afghanistan, leaving No. 10 Naseem Shah with the task of hitting big blows to get them across the line, this batting order has a decent body of work behind it, and will arrive at these last two matches with some confidence.
Sri Lanka’s batting has only clicked more recently and, even then, almost exclusively while chasing. However, between Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, they have got destructive batters in form. Pakistan have relied a little more heavily on Mohammad Rizwan, who is one of only two batters with more than 200 runs in the tournament so far, with 212 at an average of 70.66.
On the bowling front, Pakistan perhaps have a clear advantage. But then, both teams are likely to rest key bowlers for this dead rubber.
