Pakistan Beat Sri Lanka by 6 Runs in Thrilling ODI to Take 1-0 Series Lead

Pakistan won an exciting match to take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match ODI series in Rawalpindi! They beat Sri Lanka by 6 runs in a thrilling game. Both innings followed a similar pattern. Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first. Sri Lanka started strong, but Pakistan fought back and stayed in the game with determination.

In the first innings, Sri Lanka dominated with the ball in the first phase of play to reduce Pakistan to 95/4 after 23.2 overs of play. However, a brilliant partnership between Salman Ali Agha and Hussain Talat saw them put up 138 runs on the board for the 5th wicket. Hussain Talat scored 62 vital runs to help his team. Salman Ali Agha stayed unbeaten at 105 runs, and along with Mohammad Nawaz's charge of 36 runs off 23 balls, Pakistan were able to establish 299/5 at the end of their 50 overs.

For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga spun his web around the batters to end up with 3/54 from 10 overs. Asitha Fernando and Maheesh Theekshana picked up a solitary wicket each.

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Pakistan Founded: 1952

The Pakistan cricket team is known for producing some of the most fearsome fast bowlers in world cricket.

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Sri Lanka Founded: 1975

The Sri Lanka National Cricket Team, known as the Lions, is a team that has made significant contributions to the game of cricket.

Pakistan Edge Past Sri Lanka by 6 Runs to Take 1-0 Lead in ODI Series

Come the chase, once again, Pakistan were off to a bad start. Their pacers could not control their line and length, and thanks to some wonderful batting from the Lankan openers, Sri Lanka quickly reached 85/0 in 11.3 overs before Haris Rauf turned things around. The right-arm pacer turned up the heat and grabbed 3 wickets in 2 overs to wrestle momentum back from Sri Lanka.

Kamil Mishara played a glorious knock of 38 runs on his ODI debut, but was quickly followed by Kusal Mendis for a golden duck, and Patthum Nissanka for 29 runs.

There was still hope with Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka putting together a valuable 57-run partnership for the 4th wicket, but Haris Rauf came back once again to break the partnership, thanks to a stunning one-handed grab from Babar Azam at first slip! Samarawickrama walked back after scoring 39 runs. Post that, Sri Lanka kept losing wickets at regular intervals thanks to some peach deliveries and reckless batting.

Wanindu Hasaranga, once again, was the hero for Sri Lanka, this time with the bat, scoring a crucial half-century and carrying the tail with him through the final overs of the chase. With 23 runs needed in the final 2 overs, all hopes rested on Hasaranga, but Naseem Shah was bowling, and he had troubled Hasaranga all day, which eventually led to Hasaranga's dismissal as Babar caught a miscued full toss at long on to dismiss Hasaranga for 59 runs off 52 balls.

With 1 wicket remaining, there was too much to do for the final 2 batters, and Hussain Talat held his nerve in his first over to help his team take a 1-0 lead in the series. Haris Rauf was the destructor-in-chief for Pakistan with 4/61. Naseem Shah and Mohammad Nawaz contributed with a couple of wickets each.

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