In the ODI World Cup, Pakistan aimed for their second victory in the tournament, playing in Hyderabad. Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nisanka gave a strong performance, with Mendis reaching a century in just 65 balls.
Hasan Ali got rid of opener Kusal Perera for a duck in the second over. Shaheen Afridi had a challenging day, missing a catch. Imam-ul-Haq also dropped a chance, giving Kusal Mendis a lifeline in the seventh over. Spinner Mohammad Nawaz and Harry Rauf were brought in to bowl but couldn’t contain Mendis and Nisank a.
Mendis and Nisanka built a century partnership for the second wicket, boosting Sri Lanka’s momentum. In the 18th over, Nisanka was caught for 51 runs off Shadab’s bowling. Their 102-run partnership was Sri Lanka’s best against Pakistan in the World Cup since Dinesh Mendis and Arjuna Ranatunga’s 80-run partnership in Faisalabad in 1987.
Mendis and Sadira Samarawickrama continued the aggressive batting. Sadira’s two remarkable sixes off Harris stood out. When Shaheen returned to bowl after his initial 4-over spell, Mendis welcomed him with three consecutive fours in the 25th over. Mendis completed his century in just 65 balls, making it the fastest century by a Sri Lankan batsman in the World Cup, breaking Kumar Sangakkara’s 2015 World Cup record (70 balls against England).
