Sri Lanka Earns Asia Cup Finals Spot Over Pakistan

Sri Lanka Earns Asia Cup Finals Spot Over Pakistan

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Sri Lanka narrowly defeated Pakistan by two wickets on the last ball, thanks to Kusal Mendis’ strong innings and Charith Asalanka’s crucial performance at the end. Chasing a target of 252 runs in 42 overs was always going to be a tough task, but Sri Lanka managed to achieve it through some key partnerships in the middle order.

At the start of the chase, Kusal Perera made a quick start with four boundaries in seven balls but was run out by a direct hit from Shadab Khan. However, Sri Lanka didn’t lose hope, and Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka formed a fifty-run partnership. Later, Sadeera Samarawickrama joined Mendis, played aggressively, and kept the scoreboard ticking. Samarawickrama even survived a head injury scare, but he continued to perform well and contributed to a hundred-run partnership with Mendis.

Unfortunately, Samarawickrama got stumped while attempting a shot against Iftikhar Ahmed. Another partnership of 33 runs followed between Asalanka and Mendis, but Mendis was caught brilliantly by Mohammad Haris shortly after.

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Then came a series of wickets, starting at 210-3 and concluding at 246-8, making the finish incredibly exciting. Shanaka was dismissed soon after, once again falling victim to Iftikhar, who was causing problems for Sri Lanka. On the other end, Asalanka continued to score at the required rate with well-timed boundaries. However, Shaheen Shah Afridi turned the tables by taking two wickets in one over, conceding just four runs. This left Sri Lanka in a precarious situation – they needed 8 runs to win from 6 balls with only three wickets remaining.

In the final over, Pramod was run out, but not before ensuring that Asalanka would be on strike. Asalanka was under pressure as Zaman Khan had given away only two runs in the first four balls. However, he managed to edge the penultimate ball for a boundary, shifting the balance in Sri Lanka’s favor. The final ball, a slower half-volley on the leg side, was clipped away by Asalanka to secure the victory, sending the Colombo crowd into wild celebrations well past midnight.

Earlier in the match, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. They lost Fakhar Zaman early, and although Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam had a fifty-run partnership, Pakistan’s middle order collapsed before a rain interruption, reducing them to 130-5. However, Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed’s century partnership rescued Pakistan, and their late attacking play took Pakistan to a competitive total, which ultimately proved just short of victory.

“We gave them a chance to come back, but Charith held his nerves,” Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said. “Charith was great, character of a great player. Special feeling to play back to back finals.”

Sri Lanka has now reached the Asia Cup final for the eleventh time and will face India in the final on Sunday, September 17.

Final Scores:

Pakistan scored 252-7 in 42 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 86*, Abdullah Shaique 52, Matheesha Pathirana 3-65) but lost to Sri Lanka, who scored 252-8 in 42 overs (Kusal Mendis 91, Charith Asalanka 49*, Iftikhar Ahmed 3-50), by 2 wickets.

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