Pakistan pulled off a thrilling comeback to beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in a crucial Super Fours match of the Asia Cup at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz starred with an unbeaten partnership that sealed the win, keeping Pakistan’s hopes alive in the tournament.
Chasing a modest 134 runs, Pakistan started strong. Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman put on 45 runs to set a solid foundation. But Sri Lanka fought back hard in the powerplay. Spinner Maheesh Theekshana struck twice in one over, dismissing Farhan for 24 off 15 balls and Zaman soon after, leaving Pakistan at 46/2.
The pressure mounted as Wanindu Hasaranga joined the attack. He bowled Saim Ayub for 2 and then trapped captain Salman Ali Agha lbw for 5 with a clever googly. Dushmantha Chameera added to the woes by clean-bowling Mohammad Haris for 13, and suddenly Pakistan slumped to 53/5 in the 12th over.
That’s when Talat and Nawaz stepped up. Nawaz played aggressively, smashing an unbeaten 38 off 24 balls, while Talat held firm with 32 not out off 30. Their 58-run stand guided Pakistan home with two overs to spare. This victory boosts Pakistan to second place in the Super Fours table, right behind rivals India.
Earlier, Sri Lanka chose to bat first after losing the toss but crumbled to 133/8. Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi set the tone right away, claiming Kusal Mendis for a golden duck on the second ball with a thick edge caught by Talat.
Sri Lanka raced to 53/3 in the powerplay but lost momentum quickly. Talat triggered a collapse in the eighth over, removing captain Charith Asalanka and ex-skipper Dasun Shanaka on consecutive deliveries. Spinner Abrar Ahmed added spice by dismissing Hasaranga with a sweeping shot and cheekily copying his rival’s celebration.
Kamindu Mendis offered some resistance, racing to a quick fifty with a four, a six, and sharp running. But Shaheen ended his stay, trapping him lbw for 50. Sri Lanka managed just a boundary in the final over, handing Pakistan a gettable target in this high-stakes Asia Cup clash.
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