Pakistan beat Sri Lanka to keep Asia Cup final hopes alive
Hussain Talat scored an unbeaten 32 and bagged two wickets as Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 5 wickets in a Super 4s match in the Asia Cup.
Hussain Talat scored an unbeaten 32 and bagged two wickets as Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 5 wickets in a Super 4s match in the Asia Cup.
Hussain Talat scored an unbeaten 32 and bagged two wickets as Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 5 wickets in a Super 4s match in the Asia Cup.
Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets in a Super 4s match on Tuesday to keep themselves alive in the Asia Cup.
Chasing a modest target of 134, Pakistan won with 12 balls to spare, with Mohammad Nawaz top scoring with 38 not out from 24, and Hussain Talat adding an unbeaten 32.
Spinners Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga dealt early blows to the Pakistan chase. Theekshana broke a 45-run opening stand by removing Sahibzada Farhan (24) and Fakhar Zaman (17) in the same over. Leg spinner Hasaranga dismissed Saim Ayub (2) and captain Salman Ali Agha (5) to give the Lankans hope. But an unbeaten 58-run partnership between Nawaz and Talat ruined their plans.
Earlier, a pair of early strikes from Shaheen Shah Afridi left Sri Lanka in trouble at 18/2, before captain Charith Asalanka played a 19-ball 20. Kamindu Mendis' 44-ball 50 helped the islanders move into triple digits and finish on 133/8. Afridi claimed 3/28, while Haris Rauf and Hussain Talat bagged two wickets apiece.
While Pakistan have kept their chances of playing a dream final with India alive, the Lankans are most likely to miss the bus as they have lost twice in the Super 4s.
India will play Bangladesh on Wednesday, and a win should seal the World Champions' berth in the final on September 28.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka 133/8 in 20 overs (Kamindu Mendis 50, Shaheen Afridi 3/28, Hussain Talat 2/18, Haris Rauf 2/37) lost to Pakistan 138/5 in 18 overs (Mohammad Nawaz 38 not out, Talat 32 not out, Theekshana 2/24, Hasaranga 2/27)