In a record run chase at the Cricket World Cup, Mohammad Rizwan and opening batsman Abdullah Shafique each scored hundreds as Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets.
Rizwan scored an unbeaten 131 off 121 balls while playing with a pulled right calf while trying to reach a target of 345. In place of the ineffective Fakhar Zaman, Shafique scored 113 to help Pakistan reach 4-345 in 48.2 overs.
Against Sri Lanka, Pakistan improved its World Cup record to 8-0 and earned four points from two victories. Going into the championship match against rival India in Ahmedabad on Saturday, Pakistan has defeated both of the opponents in the qualifying round, the Netherlands and Sri Lanka.
Rizwan remarked, “Always proud when you perform like that,” following a knock that included eight fours and three sixes.
“When you chase like that, it’s always special. It was difficult. We can pursue that, everyone in the locker room believed.
In the World Cup’s absence of injured star leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka has faced numerous bowling issues. The team also dropped its opening match to South Africa, which defeated the Sri Lankans by a score of 428 runs.
When Ireland scored 7-329 to defeat England in 2011, it set the previous Cricket World Cup record. Pakistan’s big chase surpassed that mark.
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Kusal Mendis’ 77-ball 122 and Sadeera Samarawickrama’s 108 — first ODI hundreds that increased Sri Lanka’s total to 9-344 on a day when bowlers were hammered from both sides on a perfect batting pitch — were overshadowed by the hundreds from Shafique, who hit 10 fours and three sixes, and Rizwan.
With a third-wicket stand of 111 runs off 69 balls, Mendis and Samarawickrama displayed plenty of aggression in the middle overs. They hit 25 fours and eight sixes between them.
Mendis profited from two early dropped catches inside the powerplay when Imam-ul-Haq dropped a sharp opportunity at point and Shaheen Afridi (1-66) couldn’t hold onto a sharp return catch. Mendis scored a century off 65 balls with 14 fours and 6 sixes, including a flicked six over midwicket off Pakistan’s best bowler of the day, Hasan Ali (4-71).
After Mendis holed out to an impudent catch by Imam at the mid-wicket fence, Samarawickrama assumed control. Despite Samrawickrama reaching his century and Haris Rauf (2-64) picking up both of his wickets in the final over, Pakistan retreated in the final 10 overs.
Shanaka, the captain of Sri Lanka, said, “We should’ve finished stronger in the end.” “Given the behavior of the wicket, we were 20–25 runs short. I shouldn’t expect too much of the bowlers.
In the earlier match in Dharamsala, Dawid Malan’s century helped England defeat Bangladesh by 137 runs, giving them their first victory.
Malan helped England reach 364-9 and recover from their defeat to New Zealand in the tournament opener by scoring 140 runs off 107 balls, which was his fifth ODI century. Reece Topley, a left-arm pacer, finished with stats of 4-43 as England dismissed Bangladesh for 227 in 48.2 overs.
In the history of the World Cup, it was England’s fourth-largest victory margin.
When England was put to bat, they got off to a fast start thanks to Malan and Jonny Bairstow (52) who combined for 115 runs for the first wicket. Bairstow was bowled by Shakib Al Hasan, but 151 runs were scored for the second wicket by Malan and Joe Root.