Pakistan huffed and puffed but eventually secured a hard-fought five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in a low-scoring Asia Cup Super Four clash at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. Chasing a modest target of 134, Pakistan started confidently, racing to 45 without loss in the first five overs. However, a middle-order collapse saw them slump to 80 for five before calm and composed innings from Hussain Talat (32*) and Mohammad Nawaz (38*) steadied the ship and guided Pakistan to victory with two overs to spare.
Shaheen Afridi was the standout bowler for Pakistan, claiming three key wickets. He was well supported by Haris Rauf and Hussain Talat, who also picked up two wickets each. Their disciplined bowling effort kept Sri Lanka to a below-par total, keeping Pakistan firmly in contention for a place in the Asia Cup final.
Sri Lanka, asked to bat first, got off to a disastrous start. In-form Kusal Mendis was dismissed off the second ball of the innings, followed quickly by Pathum Nissanka, who had been Sri Lanka’s most consistent batter in the tournament so far. Both wickets were gifts to Pakistan’s pace attack, which exploited the seam-friendly conditions to full effect.
Shaheen Afridi struck early, trapping Kusal Mendis with a well-directed delivery that resulted in a sharp catch to Hussain Talat. Although Nissanka launched Afridi for a six, he edged the very next ball to wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 18 for 2.
Skipper Charith Asalanka and Kusal Perera attempted to steady the innings with a 25-run partnership. Both showed glimpses of form, hitting a six each, but the stand was cut short when Perera tried to loft Haris Rauf over the infield but was brilliantly caught by a diving Faheem Ashraf. By the end of the power play, Sri Lanka was 53 for 3.
The situation worsened rapidly in the eighth over. Asalanka fell cheaply trying to pull a delivery from Hussain Talat, giving Haris Rauf a simple catch. On the very next ball, Dasun Shanaka edged one behind, and suddenly Sri Lanka found themselves in deep trouble at 58 for 5.
Kamindu Mendis was the lone bright spot for Sri Lanka, battling hard to score a well-crafted 50 off 44 balls. His composed innings included some elegant strokes and a gritty determination to resist. Alongside Chamika Karunaratne, Mendis added a valuable 43 runs for the seventh wicket, helping Sri Lanka inch past 100.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka in 133/8 in 20 overs (Kamindu Mendis 50; Shaheen Afridi 3/28, Hussain Talat 2/18) lost to Pakistan 138/5 in 18 overs (Hussain Talat 32 not out, Mohammad Nawaz 38 not out; Maheesh Theekshana 2/24) by 5 wickets.