Pakistan captain Babar Azam highlighted the Men in Green's growing concern when it comes to capitalising during the middle phase of an innings after the two-time Asia Cup champions were eliminated from the continental competition by Sri Lanka on September 14 (Thursday). Babar affirmed that his team is starting and finishing matches with great intensity but has lacked discipline and consistency in the middle overs.
"In the end, we decided to bowl our best bowlers. That's why I decided to bowl Shaheen the second last over and then we believed in Zaman Khan for the final over. SL played really well, they played better cricket than us, that's why they won," Babar said after the game, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
"We weren't up to the mark with our bowling and fielding, that's why we lost. (One major factor that could have been different) In the middle overs, we are not bowling well. That partnership (between Mendis and Samarawickrama) cost us. We are starting well, we are finishing well, but we are not taking wickets in the middle overs," he added.
Meanwhile, in a heart-stopping match at R Premadasa Stadium, Sri Lanka triumphed over Pakistan, securing their place in the Asia Cup 2023 final against India. Thanks to stellar performances from Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka, the Lankan Lions managed to chase down a challenging score of 252 set by Pakistan.
Starting confidently, the Sri Lankan openers, Pathum Nissanka (29) and Kusal Perera (17) set a platform until their fall at 77/2. However, Mendis emerged as the linchpin, hammering a commendable 91 runs off 87 balls, coupled with Sadeera Samarawickrama's timely 48 runs off 51 balls. Their partnership looked set to lead Sri Lanka to a smooth win. But, Pakistan's Iftikhar Ahmed had other plans, removing both set players in quick succession.
With the match hanging in the balance, Charith Asalanka showcased his resilience, crafting a match-winning, unbeaten 49. Despite the pressure and the late bowling heroics by Shaheen Shah Afridi and Zaman Khan, Asalanka secured victory on the last ball, propelling Sri Lanka to their 12th Asia Cup final, where they'll clash with Rohit Sharma's Indian side on September 17 (Sunday).
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