Historic cricket match sees Pakistan triumph over Sri Lanka in thrilling chase
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In a historic and nail-biting cricket match, Pakistan emerged victorious over Sri Lanka by achieving the highest-ever successful chase in ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup history.
The thrilling game, which took place at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, witnessed an extraordinary partnership between two-star Pakistani batsmen, Mohammad Rizwan and Abdullah Shafique.
The game began with Sri Lanka posting an imposing total of 344/9 after they were put into bat first. A magnificent performance by Kusal Mendis, who scored an outstanding 122 runs, and Sadeera Samarawickrama's century, with 108 runs to his name, played a crucial role in building this substantial total.
The Sri Lankan innings began on a shaky note, as Hasan Ali claimed the early wicket of Kusal Perera, who was dismissed for a duck. However, Mendis took charge of the situation and led the counterattack against the Pakistani bowlers. His exceptional knock featured a total of 20 boundaries, including six maximums, setting the stage for Sri Lanka's substantial total. Pathum Nissanka also contributed with 51 runs, forming a key partnership with Mendis.
As Hasan Ali continued to be a thorn in Sri Lanka's side, he claimed his fourth wicket by dismissing Samarawickrama, who had steadied the ship in the middle of the innings. Hasan's excellent bowling performance, concluding with figures of 4/71, was instrumental in curtailing the scoring rate in the latter part of Sri Lanka's innings.
Kusal Mendis, despite his brilliant performance, suffered cramps and was taken to the hospital after his remarkable knock of 122 runs from 77 balls. This unfortunate event marked the start of a challenging period for Sri Lanka.
Pakistan's chase began on a disappointing note as both Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam were dismissed early during the initial powerplay. Dilshan Madushanka claimed both wickets, leaving Pakistan at 37/2.
Nevertheless, the Pakistani team exhibited resilience and gradually stabilised their innings. Abdullah Shafique, in particular, stood out by achieving his maiden ODI century, scoring an impressive 113 from 103 balls. His innings featured 13 boundaries, and it marked a significant moment in his early ODI career.
Following Shafique's outstanding performance, it was the wicketkeeper-batsman, Mohammad Rizwan, who took the lead. Despite experiencing cramps during his brilliant innings, Rizwan remained unbeaten and struck the winning runs to conclude with an impressive 131 not out from 121 balls. This partnership of 176 runs between Shafique and Rizwan set the foundation for Pakistan's successful chase.
In this historic match, a unique milestone was achieved as four centuries were scored, a first in the history of the Men's Cricket World Cup. Ultimately, Pakistan emerged as the victor of this high-scoring thriller.
