Watch: Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan in a last-ball thriller to book their spot in the 2023 Asia Cup final, scheduled for September 17 (Sunday). Here are the PAK vs SL highlights.
In the virtual knockout, Pakistan made 252-7 while batting first, with rain reducing their innings to 42 overs. Fakhar Zaman’s poor run continued; he has now gone 10 innings without crossing 35. Babar Azam, who has registered 17, 10 and 29 since his 151 against Nepal, could not get a big score either, leaving Pakistan at 73-2.
At 130-5 in 27.4 overs, Pakistan needed a strong finish, which was provided by Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed, who stitched together 108 for the sixth wicket. Rizwan went on to score 86, his highest ODI score since March 2019, while Iftikhar made a 40-ball 47, propelling Pakistan to 252-7.
Sri Lanka got off to a flier courtesy of Kusal Perera, who struck four fours in his knock of 17 before being run out by Shadab Khan. At 77-2, Sadeera Samarawickrama then joined forces with Kusal Mendis and kept the opposition bowlers at bay with a 100-run stand.
The tide then turned dramatically, with Sri Lanka falling from 210-3 to 246-8, with the side needing six in the last two balls as the match reached a tense finish.
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Charith Asalanka, feeling the heat as ODI debutant Zaman Khan yielded a mere two runs from the first four balls of the final over, managed to edge the penultimate delivery for a crucial boundary, tilting the balance in Sri Lanka’s favor. The last ball, a slower half-volley on the leg side, was deftly clipped away by Asalanka to secure a thrilling two-wicket win.
Sri Lanka will play India on the final of the tournament on Sunday.
