Wanindu Hasaranga had seemingly cast a spell around Pakistan’s batters but after Salman Ali Agha and Hussain Talat 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 in the first One-day International at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
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 Mohammad Nawaz applied the finishing touches with a quickfire 36 not out.
After Charith Asalanka won the toss and opted to bowl, Asitha Fernando rewarded his skipper with an early breakthrough when he trapped Saim Ayub 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 Zaman and one-drop Babar Azam 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 Mohammad 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 Talat 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 Dusmantha 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.
