1
2
0
0
4
1
= 8
Match Details
PAK vs SL 11th Match, Asia Cup 2023
SL
252-842.0
Sri Lanka won by 2 wickets (DLS METHOD) 🏆
PAK
42.0252-7
+
P'ship : 6(2)
Commentary
All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Milestone
So after a thrilling encounter, it is India vs Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2023 final, taking place at Colombo on the coming Sunday! Pakistan have been knocked out of the competition after making it to the final last time.
For now, it is me AkshayaKrishna Polya, signing off on behalf of my co-commentators Arijit Kundu and Akshay Bhide (1st Innings), who, alongside our scorer/analyst Zeeshan Naiyer brought you all the live-action of this virtual eliminator. We will meet again in the next one. Until then, it's cheers!
For now, it is me AkshayaKrishna Polya, signing off on behalf of my co-commentators Arijit Kundu and Akshay Bhide (1st Innings), who, alongside our scorer/analyst Zeeshan Naiyer brought you all the live-action of this virtual eliminator. We will meet again in the next one. Until then, it's cheers!
Kusal Mendis (POTM): "I am happy to be honest. It is not about my own game, I am happy with the team winning this game. Happy to get to the final. When those wickets in the 41st over fell, I was a bit nervous. With Charith Asalanka in the middle, we had hope. He has done once in the game against Afghanistan.
We bowled well I think, extremely happy to be the final. Our main bowlers- Wanindu, Dushmantha and Kumara are missing and we are without them. But happy to see these bowlers doing very well.
We are a young side. It's been a great support from the crowd. Happy for them. Thanks a lot and keep the same support going for us in the final as well."
We bowled well I think, extremely happy to be the final. Our main bowlers- Wanindu, Dushmantha and Kumara are missing and we are without them. But happy to see these bowlers doing very well.
We are a young side. It's been a great support from the crowd. Happy for them. Thanks a lot and keep the same support going for us in the final as well."
Player of the Match: Kusal Mendis
Highest successful chases by Sri Lanka in Asia Cup (ODIs):
265 runs vs IND in Fatullah 2014
261 runs vs PAK in Mirpur 2014
252 runs vs PAK in Colombo today
Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka Captain): "Yeah, of course, we had the game under our control. I think we could've stayed till the last over. We gave them the chance to get there. But Charith Asalanka get us there.
We had the discussion before going to batting. The coaching staff told that the mistake was done in the Indian game where we lost wickets in middle.
Kusal Mendis, I think he played a superb knock. And Sadeera Samarawickrama, I think they are the best players of spin right now in Sri Lanka. And Charith, I think he comes and scores in tough situation. This tells about the character of the player. Yes, we are in the finals. Its a special feeling. I must say thank you to the support who have been supporting us till the end. Thank You."
We had the discussion before going to batting. The coaching staff told that the mistake was done in the Indian game where we lost wickets in middle.
Kusal Mendis, I think he played a superb knock. And Sadeera Samarawickrama, I think they are the best players of spin right now in Sri Lanka. And Charith, I think he comes and scores in tough situation. This tells about the character of the player. Yes, we are in the finals. Its a special feeling. I must say thank you to the support who have been supporting us till the end. Thank You."
Dasun Shanaka signs the match ball....
Maximum Sixes: Mohammad Rizwan (2 sixes)
Smart Catch: Kusal Mendis (dismissal of Mohammad Haris)
1:24 AM IST, Local Time: Time for the post-match presentation ceremony.
Babar Azam (Pakistan Captain): "Yeah, in the end, we decided to bowl our best bowlers. Thats why we went with Shaheen Afridi. And for the last over, we believed in Zaman Khan but unfortunately, it didn't go with our way. I think Sri Lanka played better cricket. We were not that good in batting and in fielding, thats why we lost this game.
In the middle overs, we were not bowling well [turning point in the game]. We are starting well, finishing well. I think we are not doing enough in the middle overs. That's why we could not win today."
In the middle overs, we were not bowling well [turning point in the game]. We are starting well, finishing well. I think we are not doing enough in the middle overs. That's why we could not win today."
Charith Asalanka (Nerves of Steel; who finished the game for SL): "I just, just thought how can I hit the gap as it is a very big field. [thoughts before the last ball] I just told Matheesha that run very hard. Two things were in my mind. I thought first he [Zaman Khan] is either gonna bowl a bouncer or he is gonna try the yorker. Then he bowled the slower one, it worked for me.
I am still excited for that. Specially, Kusal Mendis and Sadeera batted really well. They build the innings. I was clear what to do as this was my role. Definitely, I think. I think I can rank this at the second place in my book."
I am still excited for that. Specially, Kusal Mendis and Sadeera batted really well. They build the innings. I was clear what to do as this was my role. Definitely, I think. I think I can rank this at the second place in my book."
Sri Lanka makes it to the Asia Cup Final for the 12th time (ODI+T20I).
Earlier in the game, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first after the rain postponed the start for more than two hours. The Men in Green management had to make a couple of forced changes to their previously announced playing XI, bringing in Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique for Imam-ul-Haq (back spasm) and Saud Shakeel (fever). The match was reduced to 45 overs and Sri Lanka got off to a good start with incoming Pramod Madushan knocking over Fakhar, who continued his poor form.
Shafique and Babar Azam added 64 runs for the second wicket before impressive Dunith Wellalage undoing the Pakistani skipper in the 16th over. Shafique was excellent on his return to the side and got to his fifty but failed to go on and make a big one. Matheesha Pathirana was bowling well in the middle overs and got Pakistan on the back foot with a couple of wickets before Maheesh Theekshana cleaned up Mohammad Nawaz to see Pakistan relying at 130/5.
The unwanted guest rain appeared again and paused the play for a while. It was curtailed again down to 42 overs aside with Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed coming out to bat in a different mindset, pressing on the accelerator. The duo hammered a partnership of 108-run for the 5th wicket and gave the innings a massive momentum. Rizwan smashed an unbeaten half-century, while Iftikhar fell short of his well-deserved fifty by 3 runs.
Pathirana (3/65) and Madushan (2/58) came back well in the last few overs with Theekshana walking off the field following his hamstring injury. Rizwan remained unbeaten on 86 to 73 balls and saw Pakistan getting 252/7 in 50 overs.
Shafique and Babar Azam added 64 runs for the second wicket before impressive Dunith Wellalage undoing the Pakistani skipper in the 16th over. Shafique was excellent on his return to the side and got to his fifty but failed to go on and make a big one. Matheesha Pathirana was bowling well in the middle overs and got Pakistan on the back foot with a couple of wickets before Maheesh Theekshana cleaned up Mohammad Nawaz to see Pakistan relying at 130/5.
The unwanted guest rain appeared again and paused the play for a while. It was curtailed again down to 42 overs aside with Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed coming out to bat in a different mindset, pressing on the accelerator. The duo hammered a partnership of 108-run for the 5th wicket and gave the innings a massive momentum. Rizwan smashed an unbeaten half-century, while Iftikhar fell short of his well-deserved fifty by 3 runs.
Pathirana (3/65) and Madushan (2/58) came back well in the last few overs with Theekshana walking off the field following his hamstring injury. Rizwan remained unbeaten on 86 to 73 balls and saw Pakistan getting 252/7 in 50 overs.
1:06 AM IST and Local Time: Charith Asalanka- The Nerves of Steels! Then with the ball against India in a losing cause and now, with the bat, knocking Pakistan out of the Asia Cup. Sri Lanka are through to the final for the 11th time (ODIs) and will face India on Sunday in pursuit of defending the trophy.
Pakistan were down and out for the most part of it until Iftikhar Ahmed made things happening with the ball. Shaheen Shah Afridi turned the tides bowling a superb 41st over before Zaman Khan had to deal with the pressure of bowling the final over needing 8 runs to win. Zaman failed to defend on his ODI debut but he hasn't done too much wrong. Good first four balls but the luck was in the side of Asalanka and Sri Lanka with 6 needed off the last 2 balls.
Sri Lanka were positive for the major part of their chase of the DLS target of 252. Kusal Perera hit a few boundaries before getting run-out in the 4th over. Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis batted well, adding 57 runs for the second wicket before Nissanka's stay was ended by an excellent return catch by Shadab Khan.
Mendis continued his classy batting display and got partner in Sadeera Samarawickrama with the duo adding exactly 100 runs for the 3rd wicket. When this partnership was going well, it looked as a cakewalk for the batting side but it wasn't to be with Pakistan making a great come back despite Sri Lanka needing around run-a-ball.
Iftikhar bowled an excellent spell in the second half of the middle phase and finished with figures of 8-0-52-3. He picked the wickets of Samarawickrama (48 off 51), Dasun Shanaka and Mendis (91 off 87). The wicket-keeper batted was simply brilliant but once again fell in the nervous 90s.
Sri Lanka crumbled under pressure with batters like Dhananjaya de Silva and Dunith Wellalage failing to absorb the heat produced by Pakistan. Shaheen gave away just 4 runs and picked 2 wickets in the penultimate over, leaving 8 runs for Zaman Khan to defend. The ODI debutant kept his nerves and also bowled the first four balls superbly, but with 6 runs required of the last two balls, the lone man standing for Sri Lanka, Charith Asalanka (49* off 47) got his side home by 2 wickets in this last over thriller.
OVER 42
Sri Lanka
252/8
Charith Asalanka
49(47)
Matheesha Pathirana
0(0)
Zaman Khan
0-39(6.0)
41.6 Z Khan to C Asalanka
2 Tucks across and runs hard for a couple of runs. Sriiii Lankaaaaaaaa!!! The crowd cheers up and roars up in celebration. Sri Lanka have made the final once again. Full at the middle and leg. Asalanka keeps calm and flicks it towards the deep square leg region for a couple of runs. Charith Asalanka, he stayed till the end and ensured that Sri Lanka go past the finishing line. SRI LANKA BEAT PAKISTAN IN THE VIRTUAL SEMI-FINAL TO BOOK A SPOT IN THE FINAL OF ASIA CUP AGAINST INDIA. A humdinger of the highest level. "Sri Lanka Matha" soars high in the R. Premadasa. Commiserations for Pakistan. To fight till the end shows great character.
Man Oh Man! Edge and four between the keeper and short third man. Zaman is down on the pitch. Asalanka is the man for the Lankans. 2 runs in 1 ball. The fielders are getting closer a bit. Zaman Khan is having a chat with Babar Azam. Nervy moments. Rizwan joins the chat. The crowd are on their toes roaring. Are we in for a super over?
Commentary