In the ICC ODI World Cup, Pakistan faced Sri Lanka in Hyderabad, aiming for their second victory in the tournament. Despite losing wickets early in the second over, Sri Lankan batsmen made a strong comeback. Missed catches by Shaheen Afridi and Imam-ul-Haq proved costly for Pakistan. Mohammad Rizwan also had an opportunity to dismiss Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka but couldn’t.
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first. However, Hasan Ali, despite an injury to his finger, dismissed opener Kusal Perera for a duck in the second over. In the seventh over, Imam-ul-Haq also gave a lifeline to Kusal Mendis. Spinner Mohammad Nawaz was introduced in the 9th over, and Haris Rauf bowled in the 10th over. However, Mendis and Pathum Nisanka played well.
Mendis and Nisanka’s strong partnership surprised Pakistan. They built a century partnership for the second wicket, shifting the momentum in Sri Lanka’s favor. In the 16th over, Mendis played a delivery from Shadab Khan towards short third man, and Nisanka attempted a quick run. The ball reached wicketkeeper Rizwan in time, but Nisanka cleverly dived and managed to slip his bat into the crease just in time to avoid being run out. However, in the 18th over, Nisanka was caught for 51 runs off Shadab’s bowling, and Sri Lanka lost their second wicket with the score at 107 runs.
