In a low-scoring thriller, Pakistan thumped Sri Lanka by three wickets to seal their place in the semi-finals of the ongoing 2017 ICC Champions Trophy 2017 against Sri Lanka on Monday in Cardiff.
For Pakistan, it was skipper Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Amir, who stole the show in the heart-racing thriller as latter remained unbeaten on 61 off 79 balls, as former remained not out on 28 off 43 balls after Lankans were sloppy on the field in the last half-of-the game.
Sarfraz and Amir knitted a crucial partnership of 75 runs for the eighth wicket which is also the highest partnership registered for the ICC Champions Trophy after committing a hara-kiri.
In the first state, the game looked to be falling in the bag of Pakistan while starting off with a brisk start from unknown quantity Fakhar Zaman, but Sri Lankan bowlers made a remarkable comeback – to make things miserable for unpredictable Pakistan, for the most of the time in the extraordinary make-or-break clash at the Welsh capital Cardiff.
The beauty of the game is it’s unpredictability as they say, cricket is the game of glorious uncertainties; it swung from one end to another, one ball to another as the rush of adrenaline kept fans on the edge of their seats which further saw Thisara Perera dropping a dolly on the bowling of Lasith Malinga before Danushka Gunathilka grassed literally a semi-final berth for the Islanders.
The chase didn’t seem to be tough, but the mercurial Pakistan made it hard by playing rash shots before Sri Lankan bowlers tightened the grip, who almost made a meal out of it.
Coming to the bat, Pakistan were off to a rollicking start with left-handed batsman Fakhar Zaman smashing his maiden fifty off 36 balls as his innings was laced with eight boundaries and a six.
Fahim Ashraf (15 off 15), who was playing his first game, showed the positive intent with the bat before presence of mind from Thisara Perera claimed the dramatic run-out when Sarfraz Ahmed hit the ball straight down the ground to find ball brushing the bowling hand of Perera which further dropped onto the stump – to find Ashraf short of his crease.
The Lions drew the first blood at 74 in 11.2 overs, when Zaman was caught by Asela Gunaratne at the padded-up boundary, on the bowling of Suranga Lakmal.
The highly-talented Babar Azam (10 off 18 balls) was dismissed when he timed a stroke straight into the hands of Asela Gunaratne in the thirty-yard circle, on the bowling of Nuwan Pradeep.
Mohammad Hafeez (1 off 5), who struggled with the bat, faced a delivery which got better of him as the leading edge was taken by Nuwan Pradeep when Thisara Perera was bowling.
Azhar Ali (34 off 50), who started off slowly seemed to find in some groove when he was undone by Suranga Lakmal after Kusal Mendis completed a catch in the first slip.
An experienced campaigner, Shoaib Malik, who was playing his 250th One-day International hadn’t had enough to boast after he was caught by Niroshan Dickwella down the leg after ball brushed the glove.
Imad Wasim (4 off 3), who played a silly shot while reaching out to the ball after the regulation was completed by Niroshan Dickwella on the bowling of Lasith Malinga, who bowled his heart out after batsmen register a low score.
Owing to the overcast condition, Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed sent in Sri Lanka to bat first after winning the toss in the do-or-die ICC Champions Trophy clash.
Following the quality bowling from Pakistan, Sri Lanka was bundled out for 236 in 49.2 overs which further saw
Lasith Malinga remaining unbeaten on 9 off 14 balls as Nuwan Pradeep (1 off 3) was the last man to go on the bowling of Fahim Ashraf.
Niroshan Dickwella played some quality strokes to post 73 runs off 86 balls as his innings included four boundaries.
However, it was skipper Angelo Mathews, who posted crucial 39 off 54 balls, as his innings included two fours and a solitary.
Pakistan bowlers made a strong comeback when Sri Lanka was going stronger at one stage of the game.
Suranga Lakmal and Asela Gunaratne registered 46 runs in 9.3 overs for the eighth wicket after the Lankans were struggling at 167 for seven in 35 overs after Lions lost four wickets on just six runs.
For Pakistan, the pick of the bowler was Junaid Khan, who claimed three wickets after conceding 40 runs in his quota of ten overs.
Moreover, the wily customer Hasan Ali bagged three wickets followed by two each from left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Amir and debutant Fahim Ashraf.
Earlier, Sri Lanka didn’t get off to a bad start as they lost Danushka Gunathilaka at the score of 26 in 5.1 overs.
Gunathilka (13 off 20) was caught by Shoaib Malik on the bowling of Junaid Khan.
Kusal Mendis (27 off 29) was cleaned up on a peach of a delivery by Hasan Ali when Sri Lanka was 82 in 14.5 overs
Senior campaigner Dinesh Chandimal was bowled by Fahim Ashraf after facing two dot balls.
Brief Score: Pakistan 237/7 (44.5 overs, Ahmed 61 runs off 79 balls, Pradeep 3/60) beat SL 236/10 (49.2 overs, Dickwella 73 runs off 86 balls; Junaid Khan 3/40) by 3 wickets