Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in a thrilling World Cup match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on October 10, 2023.
Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first. They got off to a flying start thanks to Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama. The pair put on a 213-run partnership for the second wicket, and Mendis went on to score a century (122). Samarawickrama also scored a century (108), and Sri Lanka finished with a total of 344/9 in their 50 overs.
Pakistan bowlers struggled to contain the Sri Lankan batsmen, with only Shaheen Afridi picking up three wickets.
In reply, Pakistan got off to a shaky start, losing their top two batsmen for just 28 runs. However, Mohammad Rizwan and Abdullah Shafique steadied the ship, and the pair put on a 196-run partnership for the third wicket. Rizwan went on to score an unbeaten century (131), and Shafique was dismissed for 113.
Pakistan eventually reached the target in 48.2 overs, with 6 wickets in hand.
Analysis:
Pakistan's victory was a remarkable one, considering that they were chasing down a high total. Rizwan played a match-winning knock, and he was well-supported by Shafique.
Sri Lanka bowlers struggled to contain the Pakistan batsmen, and they will need to improve their bowling performance if they want to challenge the top teams in the tournament.
Key Moments:
Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama's century partnership: The pair put on a 213-run partnership for the second wicket, which gave Sri Lanka a solid platform to build on.
Mohammad Rizwan's unbeaten century: Rizwan was the star of the show for Pakistan, and his unbeaten century helped them to chase down a high total.
Abdullah Shafique's century: Shafique gave good support to Rizwan, and his century helped Pakistan to build a strong partnership for the third wicket.
Conclusion:
Pakistan's victory was a thrilling one, and it has shown that they are one of the teams to beat in the World Cup. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, will need to improve their performance if they want to stay in contention for the knockout stages.
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