Pakistan wins close match against Sri Lanka in series opener

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan 1st ODI: Pakistan wins close match against Sri Lanka in series opener

Pakistan beats Sri Lanka by 6 runs in ODI series opener despite Hasaranga's efforts and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Pakistan kicked off their ODI series against Sri Lanka with a thrilling six-run win in Rawalpindi, thanks to a superb unbeaten century from Salman Agha and a fiery four-wicket haul by Haris Rauf. Batting first, Pakistan had a shaky start, losing Saim Ayub early and managing just 28 runs in the first 10 overs. Fakhar Zaman tried to break the shackles with a six but was stumped soon after for 32. The middle order also struggled, with Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam falling to Wanindu Hasaranga, leaving Pakistan at 95 for 4.

The innings turned around when Salman Agha and Hussain Talat came together. The duo stitched a crucial century stand, rotating strike smartly and finding regular boundaries. Talat scored his maiden ODI fifty before falling for 62, while Agha continued to anchor the innings. Mohammad Nawaz joined him and played a brisk cameo, smashing 36 not out. The pair added 42 runs in the final three overs, with Agha reaching his second ODI hundred and Pakistan posting a competitive 299 for 5.

Sri Lanka began their chase confidently, with openers Pathum Nissanka and Kamil Mishara putting on a quick 89-run partnership. Pakistan missed a couple of early chances, including a dropped catch by Agha and a tough one by Rauf. However, Rauf made up for it with a game-changing spell, dismissing Mishara and Kusal Mendis off consecutive balls, and then removing Nissanka in his next over to reduce Sri Lanka to 90 for 3.

Despite a brief recovery from Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka, Rauf returned to dismiss Samarawickrama. Janith Liyanage and Asalanka added a fighting partnership, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Mohammad Nawaz and Naseem Shah chipped in with key breakthroughs, and Faheem Ashraf also struck twice to keep the pressure on.

Wanindu Hasaranga fought valiantly, scoring a quick 59 off 52 balls and bringing the equation down to 9 runs needed off the last two balls. But Naseem Shah held his nerve, dismissing Hasaranga in the penultimate over, and Theekshana couldn’t finish the job in the final moments. Pakistan’s bowlers managed to close out the game, giving the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Brief scores:

Pakistan: 299/5 in 50 overs

Sri Lanka: 293/9 in 50 overs