In the Super 4 match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, Pakistan faced defeat by just one wicket, allowing Sri Lanka to secure a spot in the Asia Cup final. The final match between India and Sri Lanka will be held on September 17th.
PAK vs SL: Pakistan Knocked Out of Asia Cup in Thrilling Match; Mendis-Asalanka Lead Sri Lanka to Victory
In the Super-4 match of the Asia Cup 2023. Sri Lanka advanced to the final by defeating Pakistan by two wickets. Due to rain, the match was reduced to a limited-overs format. Under the DLS rule, Sri Lanka was set a target of 252 runs. The team successfully chased down this target in 42 overs,due to the excellent performances of Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka. Kusal Mendis played a pivotal role with the bat, contributing a brilliant 91-run innings, while Charith Asalanka remained unbeaten with 49 runs. India and Sri Lanka will now face each other in the championship match on September 17th.
Last Over Drama
This match was incredibly exciting. Sri Lanka needed 8 runs in the last over. Only 2 runs were scored in the first 3 balls. Sri Lanka lost its eighth wicket on the fourth ball, making the match even more intense. With just 2 balls left and 6 runs required, Asalanka hit a four on the fifth ball and took 2 runs on the last ball, securing victory for the team and earning a place in the finals.
The Sri Lankan team, chasing the target, lost its first wicket at a score of 20 runs, with Kusal Perera attempting to score quickly and returning to the pavilion after scoring 17 runs. Following this, Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka took charge of the innings, and the team didn’t lose any wickets for 9 overs, forging a partnership of 57 runs.
Kusal Mendis & Sadeera Samarawickrama partnership
The second wicket (Pathum Nissanka) fell at the score of 73 runs, with Shadab Khan dismissing him after he had scored 29 runs. Sadeera Samarawickrama came in to support Kusal Mendis, and both of them played brilliantly together. They not only put pressure on the Pakistani bowlers but also on the fielders, continuously scoring singles and doubles in addition to boundaries.
As a result, the Sri Lankan team steadily progressed towards the target, forming a partnership of 100 runs for the third wicket. Samarawickrama, at a personal score of 48, was the third wicket to fall for Sri Lanka at a score of 177, sent to the pavilion by Iftikhar Ahmed. Kusal Mendis lost his wicket at 91 runs. Sri Lanka lost its fifth wicket with the dismissal of captain Dasun Shanaka at a score of 222. Charith Asalanka guided the team to victory with an unbeaten 49 runs. In Pakistan’s bowling, Iftikhar Ahmed took 3 wickets, and Shaheen Afridi claimed 2 wickets.
Pakistan Batting
After winning the toss, captain Babar Azam chose to bat first. The team didn’t have a good start, losing its first wicket with just 9 runs on the board. Captain Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafiq scored half-centuries for the second wicket. Babar was dismissed with a personal score of 29, caught by Wellalage. Shafiq returned to the pavilion after scoring 52 runs. At a score of 130 runs, nearly half of the Pakistan team had been sent back to the pavilion.
Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed took charge of Pakistan’s innings and played a crucial role in pushing Pakistan’s score past 250 with a partnership of 108 runs. In this match, Rizwan played an unbeaten innings of 86 runs, while Iftikhar contributed 47 runs. In the bowling department for Sri Lanka, Mathisha Pathirana claimed 3 wickets, while Pramod Madushan took 2 wickets.
