A counter-punching century by Salman Ali Agha and Haris Rauf’s fiery pace led Pakistan to a six-run win over Sri Lanka in the first One-day International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night.
While Salman’s gritty knock carried Pakistan out of deep trouble for the hosts to post an above-par 299-run total, Haris bowled a red-hot spell (4-61) to restrict Sri Lanka despite the visitors looking dangerous early on.
Sri Lanka had cruised to 75-0 in the first 10 overs as openers Pathum Nissanka and debutant Kamil Mishara punished the Pakistan pacers’ lack of discipline.
Both batters were also handed a reprieve each as Salman dropped Nissanka in the slips off Shaheen while he was playing at six. Mishara, meanwhile, escaped a scare when Haris Rauf failed to hold on to a chance in the 10th over.
In between, the Sri Lankan openers hit boundaries on regular intervals with the Pakistan bowlers struggling to maintain consistent line and length in the first powerplay.
But two overs later, Haris Rauf removed both Mishara and the incoming Kusal Mendis in consecutive balls as the former holed the pacer out to mid-on before Kusal played a fiercely quick one onto his stumps as Pakistan bounded back.
Haris then returned to get the better of Nissanka as well, forcing an outside edge for the right-hander to get caught behind off a delivery that seamed away viciously.
Soon after Sri Lanka had crossed the 100-run mark in the 16th over, Pakistan could have strengthened their grip on the match had Fakhar Zaman caught a skier by Charith Asalanka off Faheem Ashraf.
Gradually finding their feet, Sri Lanka were 117-3 by the end of 20 overs as Sadeera Samarawickrama pulled a Naseem Shah bouncer for his third boundary.
And by the halfway stage, the visitors had 134-3 on the board, before Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka brought up their 50-run partnership to anchor Sri Lanka again.
But the stand was broken thanks to a stunning catch by Babar Azam in the slips — the former Pakistan skipper diving towards his right to pluck the ball, which was flying away to give Haris his fourth wicket in the form of Samarawickrama.
Asalanka, however, kept charging, sweeping for two boundaries off spinner Saim Ayub’s first over; the 30th of the innings, as Sri Lanka brought down the required run-rate to nearly run-a-ball.
The Sri Lankan captain, however, perished as he looked to go for more — going down the track in an attempt to launch Mohammad Nawaz, only to miss it and get stumped by wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan.
Janith Liyanage followed suit, falling prey to Naseem Shah — who had a poor day out with the ball — as the pacer castled the right-hander with an in-swinger as things got bleak for Sri Lanka.
Within two overs after Sri Lanka had crossed 200, Faheem saw Kamindu Mendis play one on to his stumps in the 38th and then caught Dushmantha Chameera off his own bowling in the 45th.
With five overs to go and 10 runs needed per over, Wanindu Hasaranga’s presence in the middle with 38 off 39 against his name, danger couldn’t be written off completely.
The star Sri Lanka all-rounder took on Faheem for fours over mid-off and past point each to bring up his half century in 45 balls. Hasaranga welcomed Haris back into the attack with a deft touch for another boundary past third man.
Sri Lanka’s hopes, however, was finally quashed when Hasaranga holed a full-toss by Naseem out to Babar at long-on before Hussain Talat defended 21 runs in the last over.
Earlier, Hasaranga had seemingly cast a spell around Pakistan’s batters but after Salman and Hussain got together, the hosts found a way through it — and with aplomb.
Salman hit a sparkling century and Hussain made a career-best 62 as Pakistan rallied from being 95-4 at one stage to post 299-5.
Sri Lanka were well and truly on top in the first half of Pakistan’s innings thanks to a mesmerising spell of leg-spin bowling by Hasaranga (3-54), only for Salman, who made an unbeaten 105, and Hussain to get stuck in and revive their side’s hopes with a 138-run partnership before Nawaz applied the finishing touches with a quickfire 36 not out.
After Asalanka won the toss and opted to bowl, Asitha Fernando rewarded his skipper with an early breakthrough when he trapped Saim lbw with a searing yorker.
Saim looked a pale shadow of the man who had thrashed South Africa to all parts just three days ago in Faisalabad and it was a struggle for his opening partner Fakhar and one-drop Babar as well.
Pakistan only got past 50 in the 16th over and Fakhar departed soon after hitting the first six of the innings for a laborious 55-ball 32 when Hasaranga had him stumped. The left-hander also hit two fours.
Hasaranga then had Rizwan lbw before adding to Pakistan’s misery when he cleaned up Babar (29) with a googly. Babar’s departure, after facing 51 balls and hitting three fours, left Pakistan tottering at 95-4 and it could’ve been worse when Hasaranga rapped Hussain on the pads, only for the umpire to give it not out and Sri Lanka having burned both their reviews.
Hussain would make most of that reprieve and after Salman took Pakistan’s score beyond 100 in the 26th over with a late cut off Hasaranga for his third boundary, the left-hander deposited Maheesh Theekshana to the cover fence.
Salman and Hussain kept rotating the strike and both helped themselves a four each in the 31st over by Asalanka, before the latter brought up 150 for Pakistan when he cut Theekshana away for four in the 34th.
Hussain was growing in confidence with every delivery — a drive down the ground for four off Hasaranga exemplifying that, before he cut Liyanage for another boundary — and when Salman raised his ninth ODI half-century off 52 deliveries, Pakistan were set for the charge as the crowd began filling in once the floodlights were turned on.
Hussain showed that intent when he deposited Hasaranga for a one-bounce four wide of long-on to get to 42, beyond his previous ODI high, and Salman got his fifth four when he got gloves to a delivery going down legside before taking Pakistan past 200 with his sixth midway through the 41st over.
Salman moved into the seventies with a four over cover and Hussain brought up his maiden fifty off 53 balls before celebrating it with a six over Theekshana’s head.
Sri Lanka finally broke through when Hussain was out lbw but Salman kept going and took Pakistan to 250 on the first ball of the 46th over. The right-hander then got successive boundaries off Dushmantha Chameera before completing his second ODI ton off just 83 balls with a single.
Nawaz provided an able hand from the other end, getting two boundaries as 20 runs came off the 48th over. Fernando was then deposited by the left-hander for six over long-off and Nawaz would get two fours in the last over as Pakistan set Sri Lanka a target of exactly 300.
