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Sports

Sri Lanka through to Asia Cup final, prevail over Pakistan in nail-biting finish

  • They face India in the final on Sunday
Published September 14, 2023 Updated September 15, 2023

COLOMBO: Kusal Mendis' 91 and an unbeaten 49 by Charith Asalanka helped Sri Lanka edge out Pakistan by two wickets in a last-ball thriller of the Asia Cup to set up a final clash with India.

Chasing a DLS revised target of 252 in the 42-overs-a-side contest in Colombo, Sri Lanka needed eight from the final over and achieved the target with Asalanka's winning hit on the last ball at 1.07 am local time.

A raucous home crowd rejoiced but the result broke the heart of millions of fans awaiting an India-Pakistan final in the 50-over tournament, a prelude to the upcoming ODI World Cup.

The left-handed Asalanka held his nerve despite Shaheen Shah Afridi's two wickets in two balls in the penultimate over and the first four balls from Zaman Khan giving away just two runs and a wicket in the 42nd over.

India reach Asia Cup final with win over Sri Lanka

Mendis set up victory with a 100-run third-wicket stand with Sadeera Samarawickrama, who made 48, but Asalanka took it on himself after their departure.

Off-spinner Iftikhar Ahmed took three key wickets including Mendis and Samarawickrama to keep the game in the balance till the last.

Earlier Mohammad Rizwan hit an unbeaten 86 to steer Pakistan to 252-7 after they elected to bat first in the rain delayed start to the match.

Sri Lanka's bowlers took regular early wickets to check Pakistan's scoring, but Rizwan hit back with his 12th ODI half-century and a 108-run stand with Iftikhar, who made 47.

Fast bowler Pramod Madushan struck first as he bowled Fakhar Zaman for four with a yorker that raised the decibels in the ground.

Abdullah Shafique (52) and skipper Babar Azam (29) then rebuilt the innings in their stand of 63 despite surviving a few close calls including an lbw review off Dunith Wellalage.

Azam looked to be getting into his groove with a few boundaries but was stumped off Wellalage, a left-arm spinner who was Sri Lanka's star in their previous loss to India with 5-40.

Shafique stood strong and hit two sixes en route to his maiden ODI fifty but soon fell to fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana, who quickly struck again.

Pakistan returned from a rain break on 130-5 with Rizwan digging deep and he got support from Iftikhar, who took his time to get his rhythm and hit two sixes in his 40-ball knock.

Pathirana sent back Iftikhar for his third wicket and Madushan took one more scalp of his own late on, but Rizwan remained unbeaten and finished with a boundary.

Comments

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HIK Sep 14, 2023 05:12pm
Fixers have reached the team!
thumb_up Recommended (0)
Miamara Sep 14, 2023 07:17pm
@HIK, Very true...visit to Casino...with Zardari men managing the show...Indian fixing mafia in full swing... money has won...and Pakistan has already out of the tournament!
thumb_up Recommended (0)
JK Sep 14, 2023 07:45pm
@Miamara, in reality, Pakistan got out of the tournament the day they agreed to Indian illegal demand of extending Pakistan-India match to 2 days...why just extend Pakistan-India match why not all maches affected by rain...
thumb_up Recommended (0)
Azh Sep 14, 2023 07:58pm
@JK, True, moreover just relying on 2 main bowlers and 2 batsmen can never win any tournaments
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Azh Sep 14, 2023 10:59pm
From cricket to governance..brainless Zombies are responsible for all the doom!
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Bholari Sep 15, 2023 12:06am
Everyone has a price...everything is for sale....from Kashmir...to...cricket...priceless treason!
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John Sep 15, 2023 12:39am
Another brainless i.e. paindoo captaincy from Baber! What else could be expected from chaps like him! It shows the failure of Pakistan's education system where everything is based on memorization; how to use your brain is not taught! From leaders to players no has critical thinking skills! Hence the entire country is in chaos!
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Bholari Sep 15, 2023 01:00am
Indians smartly ousted Pakistan from Asia cup through psychological tactics!
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Baba g Sep 15, 2023 02:09am
Most of entities are dorment companies
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Love Your Country Sep 15, 2023 04:03am
@JK, bcz it's every team's choice. PCB hasn't explained why they did what they did, have they?
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Tigrs Sep 16, 2023 08:35pm
@Azh, no back ups...what a planning..
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